One-legged Florida man dubbed ‘Lieutenant Dan’ survives the worst Hurricane Milton could throw at him in his boat
10 October 2024, 08:46 | Updated: 10 October 2024, 09:04
A one-legged Florida man who because notorious for deciding to ride out Hurricane Milton from inside his small sailboat has survived a wild night at sea being battered by the deadly storm.
Listen to this article
Loading audio...
Joseph Malinowski, who has been dubbed ‘Lieutenant Dan’ after the character from Forrest Gump played by Gary Sinise, survived the storm, telling reporters “I’m Ok” as he emerged from below deck.
Police had urged him to seek shelter, but he stayed put.
He posted a TikTok during the night describing that he and the boat were holding up as the storm started to close in.
He told his followers: “They're saying the storm is still about an hour and a half out, and if that's the case and I'm feeling double of what it is now, that's not a problem, not a problem now.”
“I’m not taking on any water, I haven't even spilled my coffee yet,' Malinowski told his more than 242,900 followers.
“I’m good, I've got everything I need, I've got plenty of water, I've got plenty of food. I could be in here for two weeks.
“I’ve got everything I need - coffee, creamer, everything.”
“I didn't plan this, I didn't expect this, but this was God's plan for me to bring the world together,' he said.
“I’m doing my thing and whatever happens happens.”
As the storm surge subsided later into the night, he told reporters: “I’m fine” and “The water’s gone.”
The other side of the @Sunseeker harbor side. #milton surge and wave action. @StevePetyerak pic.twitter.com/SRzzBlqZAp
— Jim Cantore (@JimCantore) October 10, 2024
At the height of the storm, at around midnight, he said: “It's bad, but I would really like to know what part of the storm we're in so I know what to expect.
“I think I should be good,' he wrote. 'Thank you guys for the prayers and the support.”
A GoFundMe for Lieutenant Dan to get a new boat so he can live out his ‘seafaring dreams’ has so far raised $33,333 of its $100,000 target.
Milton made landfall as a Category 3 storm, ripping the roof of Tampa Bay Ray’s stadium to shreds, it also caused 19 tornadoes to form, wrecking homes and leaving nearly 2m people without power.
