Known as ‘Lieutenant Dan’ on TikTok, Joseph Malinowski has survived two hurricanes – Helene and Milton – on his sailboat. Despite repeated warnings from police, law enforcement, and the mayor, he refused to leave. So, why did he choose to stay, and how did he battle the storm?

Officials said they tried to help him evacuate, but he chose to stay put. Image courtesy: GoFundMe

They call him “Lieutenant Dan.” Despite repeated warnings to seek safer shelter, this Florida man chose to stay aboard his sailboat and still managed to survive both Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton.

Joseph Malinowski, known on TikTok as Lieutenant Dan, became a viral sensation during Hurricane Helene’s landfall last month. In several clips posted on the social media platform, Lieutenant Dan could be seen preparing to face the storm while remaining on his boat.

In the past few days, several local as well as national officials in the US urged people to follow the evacuation orders and seek shelter elsewhere. According to NBC News, the police tried to convince Malinowski to do the same and leave his boat.

However, Lieutenant Dan chose to disregard all legal and expert help and stay where he was, stating “I’m gonna be fine.”

Speaking to Sky News, he said. “I’m gonna be fine. This is a boat. It’s meant to be on water. The water’s going to surge, it’s not a tsunami.”

He said that he had slept through Hurricane Helene and was confident he could do the same again.

Who is Lieutenant Dan?

Joseph Malinowski, known on TikTok as “Lieutenant Dan,” is a 54-year-old one-legged sailor who became an internet sensation after declaring he would remain on his sailboat no matter the weather – even in the face of a hurricane. Despite warnings from meteorologists, law enforcement, and the mayor of Tampa, Malinowski refused to evacuate during Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton.

As per the latest update, Malinowski has over 550,000 TikTok followers, and his latest video has nearly 6 million views. Terrence Concannon, a senior at the University of Tampa, known on TikTok as Tampa Terrence, documented Malinowski’s decision to stay on his boat throughout both hurricanes.

Concannon’s videos, which have gained millions of views, show Malinowski being requested by police to evacuate, a tour of his sailboat, and interviews where Malinowski explained why he refused to leave.

In his latest update, posted late Wednesday, Malinowski appeared on a livestream with popular streamer Adin Ross. During the broadcast, Ross promised to buy Malinowski a new boat valued between $50,000 and $100,000 and offered him a deal with the streaming platform Kick to live stream his boating adventures.

“Lieutenant Dan” has caught the attention of thousands of viewers on TikTok who are both concerned for his well-being and amused over his decision to stay on the boat. The top comment on one of Concannon’s videos reads, “Lieutenant Dan is stressing me out more than Milton at this point.” Another said, “If he gets through this he’s gonna be a Tampa legend forever.”

Why did he choose to stay?

In a video shared on TikTok by Concannon on Tuesday, Lieutenant Dan explained why he chose to remain on his 20-foot boat despite the looming danger.

“My faith in God,” he said. “God told me to come out here and get a boat. I came out here and got a boat. He’s been telling me in the last two days I’m doing the right thing. He’s got my back. I’m in good shape. We’re gonna ride this one out.”

When asked if would be wearing a life jacket, Malinowski replied, “Hell no…The safest place in the world to be is my boat.”

Local officials had expressed concern for Malinowski’s safety. A Tampa police spokesperson told People, “After several conversations, [Malinowski] informed our officers of plans to evacuate this morning, and we offered our assistance.”

“Our priority is making every effort to keep our community safe in this storm. However, there will be a point where the conditions will deteriorate to the point where our officers cannot safely get to individuals which is why we’re making additional efforts now,” the statement further said.

However, Malinowski refused to leave. A spokesperson for Mayor Castor later told the media outlet, “Our public safety team has had multiple conversations with this individual to persuade him to make the decision to go to a shelter for safety as the hurricane approaches. At one point [on Wednesday], just prior to the press conference, he’d agreed to leave his boat, however, it appears that he has not followed through.”

Concannon also launched a GoFundMe for Malinowski, which has raised nearly $39,000 so far. The campaign page reads, “We’re rallying together to help our dear friend lieutenant Dan …He’s the kindest soul, never asking for anything but always ready to lend a hand.”

It further reads, “His current vessel has seen better days, and we want to surprise him with a new boat to continue his seafaring adventures. Let’s come together and show our support for this modern-day pirate by helping him get a new ship to sail the seas!”

Adin Ross’ offer

TikToker Adin Ross had initially offered to buy “Lieutenant Dan” a boat worth $50,000 to $100,000 and proposed a full-time livestream deal, where Malinowski could document his “voyages” and generate income through social media.

However, Ross withdrew the offer after finding out about Malinowski’s extensive criminal record, which includes arrests for striking a police officer and allegedly attempting to set a woman on fire, as reported by the New York Post.

Speaking to a TikToker who recorded him live, Malinowski said, “He offered it to me. I never asked for it.”

“If you’re worried about your image and who you have working for you, you should have done your due diligence and looked me up before you made me an offer of $100,000 sign-on bonus, $50,000 a month with a $100,000 boat.”

Malinowski’s criminal history also includes charges of drug possession, attempted breaking and entering, and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon. He even faces an ongoing case in Tampa, regarding the ownership of the 22-foot Catalina sailboat on which he survived the storms.

However, Ross later clarified that he would keep his promise to gift the one-legged sailor a $100,000 boat, despite the controversy surrounding Malinowski’s past.

Hurricane Milton

At least eight people were killed, houses were torn apart and streets filled with mud after Hurricane Milton devastated coastal communities in Florida on Thursday. Striking just two weeks after Hurricane Helene, the storm also left more than 3 million customers without power, flooded barrier islands, ripped the roof off a baseball stadium, and toppled a construction crane.
A house damaged after Hurricane Milton made landfall, in Lakewood Park, near Fort Pierce, in St. Lucie County, Florida. Reuters
As residents rushed back to assess the damage to their homes, fuel remained limited, with gas stations closed as far as Ocala – over two and a half hours north of Siesta Key, where the Category 3 hurricane made landfall on Wednesday night.

Orlando International Airport, Florida’s busiest, announced it would resume domestic and international flights on Friday, after reopening for domestic arrivals on Thursday evening. The airport faced minor damage, including leaks and fallen trees.

Despite the destruction, many expressed relief that Hurricane Milton was not more destructive. Tampa narrowly avoided a direct hit, and the feared deadly storm surge did not occur. The hurricane turned south in its final hours, making landfall in Siesta Key, about 70 miles south of Tampa.

While the damage was widespread and water levels could rise in the coming days, Governor Ron DeSantis said it was not “the worst-case scenario.”

“You face two hurricanes in a couple of weeks – not easy to go through – but I’ve seen a lot of resilience throughout this state,” the governor said during a briefing in Sarasota. He added that he was “very confident that this area is going to bounce back very, very quickly.”

Officials in the hardest-hit counties, including Hillsborough, Pinellas, Sarasota, and Lee, urged residents to stay indoors due to dangerous conditions like downed power lines, trees blocking roads, bridge closures, and ongoing flooding.