Despite Tampa Mayor Jane Castor’s grave evacuation warning to residents ahead of Hurricane Milton, Florida’s ‘Lieutenant Dan’ refused to evacuate. Despite Tampa Mayor Jane Castor’s grave evacuation warning to residents ahead of Hurricane Milton, one man decided not to leave his sailboat. Authorities said they offered to help him evacuate, but he was determined to stay put.
The man, nicknamed Lieutenant Dan after the character played by actor Gary Sinise in Forrest Gump, went viral on TikTok for refusing to leave the sailboat. In fact, people even startedreplacing wagers on whether he would live or die. Fortunately, Lieutenant Dan has now survived the hurricane, according to social media posts.
‘God told me to come out here and get a boat’
In a video shared on TikTok by user Terrence Concannon on Tuesday, October 8, Lieutenant Dan, whose real name is reportedly Joseph Malinowski, told an interviewer why he chose to stay in his 20-foot boat despite the danger.“My faith in God,” Malinowski 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.”
On being asked if he would be wearing a life jacket, Malinowski said, “Hell no.”
“The safest place in the world to be is my boat,” he further said. Local officials previously said they were concerned about Malinowski’s safety. “After several conversations, [Malinowski] informed our officers of plans to evacuate this morning, and we offered our assistance,” a spokesperson for Tampa police told People.
“Our priority is making every effort to keep our community safe in this storm. However,” the police spokeperson continued, “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 added.
However, Malinowski refused to leave. Mayor Castor’s spokesperson later said, “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 even launched a GoFundMe for Malinowski. The page reads, “We’re rallying together to help our dear friend lieutenant Dan who lives on a sailboat and embodies the spirit of a true pirate. He’s the kindest soul, never asking for anything but always ready to lend a hand. 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!”
