The one-legged yacht-dwelling Florida man affectionately nicknamed “Lieutenant Dan” weathered the wrath of Hurricane Milton in Tampa Bay before the mayor evacuated before the powerful storm. Even though he claimed to have done so, he was unharmed.
A sailor who made headlines for refusing to leave his ship was forced to leave his home as Milton strengthened into a Category 5 hurricane and made landfall south of Tampa as a Category 3 storm with winds of 190 mph. I never left the ship I was on.
Tampa Mayor Jane Castor claimed at a press conference Wednesday afternoon that Tampa police “just rescued Lt. Dunn.”
“He was rescued and is currently in a shelter. If we can get Lt. Dan to go to a shelter, anyone can do it,” she told reporters.
However, Lieutenant Dunn (real name Joseph Malinowski) was spotted a short time later aboard a small sailboat anchored in Tampa Bay.
“I know the mayor of Tampa said in a press conference that Lt. Dunn went to the shelter. He didn't, and I'm standing here.” NewsNation Correspondent Brian Entin tweeted It was accompanied by a photo of Malinowski emerging from the canvas covering the yacht's cabin just before noon.
After Milton comes ashore and finds his yacht tied to a dock in Tampa Bay, dragging water, Entin tells Malinowski (played by Gary Sinise in the movie Forrest Gump) He returned to check on Lieutenant Dan (nicknamed “Lieutenant Dan'' after his role as a sailor in The Dismemberment). Storm outside.
He called out to “Lieutenant Dan” several times before the top of the yacht's cabin opened, and a reporter asked the stubborn sailor if he was okay, according to a video he posted shortly before midnight.
“It's okay,” Malinowski said casually, showing his face.
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“I'm fine now,” he said, looking around at the lower water level. “I'm stuck here. I can't go anywhere.”
While Milton traveled around the Gulf Coast, Malinowski joined a livestream of TikTokers, including Tampa Terrence.
Malinowski said during the livestream that the wind was so strong that he “hit the wall a few times, but that was to be expected.”
“Dan's still alive, guys. Dan's still alive. He's buzzing,” said the TikToker who started a GoFundMe for the internet star. “The mayor of Tampa said he was evacuated, but he wasn't. He's still on the boat.”
Earlier in the day, Mr. Malinowski ignored people pleading with him to seek higher ground.
“The safest place in a flood is on a boat. We learned that from Noah. Everyone who remained on land drowned,” Malinowski told reporters.
“When the tide rises, so do I. As long as the water doesn't get into the boat, I'll be fine.”
