A Florida man who refused to get off his boat was rescued Wednesday as Hurricane Milton approached the state.
Tampa Mayor Jane Castor said in a press conference that Joseph Malinowski, known as “Lieutenant Dan,” was rescued by Tampa police and is “currently in a shelter.” According to Go to WTSP News.
“Tampa Police Department just rescued Lt. Dunn this morning,” Castor said. “He was rescued and is still in the shelter. If we can get Lt. Dan to go to the shelter, we can get anyone to go.”
When asked to “explain” why he decided to ride his yacht through a “Category 5” hurricane and “one of the worst hurricanes in Tampa's history,” Lt. Dunn explained, “Faith in God.” “God told me to get out here and get on a boat, so I got out here and got on a boat. All he's been saying to me these past few days is that I'm right. He's got my back. I'm not sweating. We're going to get through this.”
@terrenceconcannon @JoeSea talks about why he never gets off the boat
When asked if he would wear a life jacket, Lt. Dunn dismissed the idea.
“Will you be able to swim if necessary?” asked Concannon.
“It's going round and round,” Lt. Dunn replied jokingly.
When asked if he could swim “on one leg,” he replied, “I can float like a champ.”
“So the plan is to just stay here?” asked Concannon.
“Yes,” Lt. Dan replied. “That means the water comes in and rises. If you're on land, you'll be flooded. You're at risk of drowning. I'm in a boat, and the boat rises with the water. So even if the boat is in the air… Even if I go up 100 feet, I'm 100 feet up in the air with the water. So really…the safest place in the world is on my boat.”
As of 7 p.m., Hurricane Milton was reported to have “weakened slightly to a Category 3 hurricane,” with wind speeds reaching “190 miles per hour.” According to on the weather channel.
