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Joseph Malinowski, known on TikTok as Lieutenant Dan, survived two straight hurricanes on his small sailboat in Tampa, defying pleas for better protection from police, politicians and thousands of TikTok viewers and earning him fame and a possible career in live streaming.

Important facts

Terrence Concannon, a senior at the University of Tampa who posts on TikTok under the name Tampa Terrence, documented Malinowski's determination to stay on his boat during Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton.

Malinowski's insistence on remaining in his boat sparked concern among local officials, and Tampa Mayor Jane Castor said during a news conference Wednesday afternoon that Tampa police had taken him to a shelter but he was still recovering was in his boat when the hurricane hit.

Malinowski told local reporters after meeting Milton that he did not want to evacuate, claiming that the “safest place to be is a boat in flooding” and that he felt “fine” after the hurricane.

Concannon garnered millions of views by posting videos of Malinowski, including one in which police urge Malinowski to evacuate, a tour of his boat and interviews with Malinowski about why he refused to leave his boat.

In Concannon's latest update, posted late Wednesday night, Malinowski joined popular livestreamer Adin Ross on a stream as the hurricane raged, in which Ross said he would buy Malinowski a new boat worth between $50,000 and $100,000 and giving him a deal with the streaming platform Kick, where Malinowski could livestream his adventures on his boat.

Important background

Concannon first posted about Malinowski on September 25, shortly before Hurricane Helene hit, asking Malinowski what he had to say to the storm. “F*ck you, you want me? “Come and get me,” Malinowski said from his boat. Concannon posted about Malinowski many times during both hurricanes, with his most viewed video on September 26 reaching 30 million views. In this video, Concannon interviewed Malinowski from his boat as sea levels rose and asked for an update in which Malinowski said, “So far, it's good.” Concannon said in a video posted before Milton's attack that he secured a hotel room for Malinowski and hoped he would evacuate his boat, but said Malinowski insisted on staying in the boat. Concannon also started a GoFundMe program for Malinowski to purchase a new boat, which has raised more than $37,000 so far. Malinowski told NBC News that he has been homeless for 10 years and recently moved to Florida. He had his left leg amputated below the knee after being hit by a car at the age of 16. Concannon gave Malinowski the nickname “Lieutenant Dan,” after the character in “Forrest Gump,” an amputee whose boat survives a hurricane.

Surprising fact

Malinowski disputed Castor's claim that police took him to a shelter, telling Ross on his livestream that he told police, “Someone's going to put me up for tonight, and I just said that to f**k them off.” “To stay away from me, but they went back and told the mayor that they made me go to a shelter or whatever.”

tangent

“Lieutenant Dan” captivated thousands of TikTok viewers, who expressed both concern for his well-being and amusement at his insistence on remaining in the boat. “Lieutenant Dan is stressing me out more than Milton right now,” reads the top comment on one of Concannon’s TikTok videos. “If he gets through this he will forever be a Tampa legend,” another commenter said.

Further reading

Florida man weathering Hurricane Milton on his boat alerts TikTok and local officials (NBC News)

Hurricane Milton live updates: More than 3 million people without power — but DeSantis says storm isn't worst-case scenario (Forbes)

Some influencers aren't leaving Florida despite Hurricane Milton – sparking online criticism (Forbes)

On By John Fenwick

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