A man in Tampa, Florida, who has been dubbed ‘Lieutenant Dan’ has gone viral across social media for wanting to stay on his boat during Hurricane Milton.
Hurricane Milton is set to make landfall across the eastern coast of Florida on October 9, 2024, and social media has been flooded with people attempting to brave the storm.
One such individual, Lieutenant Dan, quickly went viral across TikTok and other social media apps after word spread that he was attempting to stay on his boat during the hurricane.
He initially went viral thanks to an interview with TikToker Terrenceconcannon where he explained why he decided to stay.
“I’m in good shape, I’m not sweating it. We got it set up the [right] way, we know what we’re doing,” he said. “If you’re on land, you’re risking drowning. I’m on a boat, the boat will go up with the water.”
Naturally, viewers became worried about him as meteorologists warned that Hurricane Milton would be one of the strongest storms to ever hit Florida. Storm surges of up to 15 feet are expected, flooding much of the area Dan is located in.
Tampa police and many others tried to get him to leave his boat behind, but he was hesitant to do so because it’s all he owns.
During a TikTok Live on October 8, he said that if someone helped him find a place to stay, he would be willing to leave his boat to ensure his safety.
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According to several users on X, the Tampa Police Chief eventually convinced him to abandon the ship.
“The Tampa Police Chief visited him and convinced him to go to a shelter. I’m so relieved!” one user commented.
If you were following the story of disabled veteran ‘Lieutenant Dan’ riding out Cat 5 Hurricane Milton on his 20 foot boat (took him 5 years to get, & it’s all he owns) in the Tampa Harbor, he will now be SAFE. The Tampa Police Chief visited him, and convinced him to go to a… pic.twitter.com/MLFaepjNCA
— 🇺🇸ProudArmyBrat (@leslibless) October 9, 2024
However, on October 9, a man post a video of Lieutenant Dan on X where he confirms he isn’t going anywhere.
“I’m not going anywhere, because the safest place to be is on a boat during a flood,” Dan said.
For everyone worried about “Lieutenant Dan” – I just talked to him. His real name is Joseph Malinowski.He says he is going to stay on his sailboat in the Tampa Bay. pic.twitter.com/UJWE7EAazt
— Brian Entin (@BrianEntin) October 9, 2024
For those looking to keep up with the man’s posts, he has shared many of his stories of living in the boat on his TikTok channel.
Fans have even gone as far as starting a GoFundMe for Dan to replace his boat with something better. At the time of writing, they’ve raised $19,191 with a total goal of $25,000.
This comes just days after Hurricane Helene ravaged through much of Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas, damaging houses and leveling towns in the process. Former Fortnite Pro Tfue shared videos of his childhood home being ruined by flooding caused by the storm.
