The favored TikTok consumer often known as “Lieutenant Dan” has survived Hurricane Milton’s landfall after he refused to evacuate his boat in Tampa Bay, Florida.
Joe Malinowski, his actual title, went viral on social media after rejecting recommendation from officers to evacuate the realm, which was within the path of the hurricane. Newsweek contacted Tampa Police Division exterior of working hours on Thursday for remark.
Kevin O’Donnell, a reporter at Fox 13, stated that Malinowski had survived the landfall after chatting with him at his boat.
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“Lieutenant Dan replace: He survived to speak about his wild night time driving out Hurricane Milton on his 20ft sailboat,” O’Donnell wrote on X, previously Twitter.
Malinowski stated that the expertise was not as unhealthy as he had thought, looking for affirmation that the water had receded.
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“The water’s gone?” Malinowski requested.
“Sure, it’s … It is going out, being pulled out,” stated O’Donnell. “Was it as unhealthy as you thought?”
“No,” stated Malinowski, earlier than once more asking: ” … is the water coming again in or going out?”
“It is going out,” repeated the reporter.
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The TikTok consumer “Lieutenant Dan” speaks from his boat. He has survived Hurricane Milton’s landfall on his vessel in Tampa Bay, Florida.
Kevin O’Donnell/Fox13
Tampa resident Malinowski, who additionally goes by the title Joe Sea, has develop into an unlikely hero after stating his intention to courageous the ferocious winds and storm surge of Hurricane Milton from the confines of his houseboat.
Anchored in Tampa Bay, “Lieutenant Dan” defied the chances and weathered one of the highly effective hurricanes to hit Florida in years, rising unscathed. Lower than two weeks in the past, Hurricane Helene landed within the state, abandoning a path of destruction in its wake.
As Milton approached, native authorities urged all residents in flood-prone areas to evacuate, however Malinowski declined the supply, selecting as an alternative to hunker down on his vessel, a 20-foot fishing boat, regardless of varied stories that he can be evacuating.
“Our public security crew has had a number of conversations with this particular person to influence him to make the choice to go to a shelter for security because the hurricane approaches,” the mayor’s spokesperson stated, chatting with PEOPLE, as beforehand reported by Newsweek.
“At one level [on Wednesday], simply previous to the press convention, he’d agreed to go away his boat; nevertheless, it seems that he has not adopted by means of.”
Milton, downgraded to a Class 3 storm, made landfall simply south of Tampa with sustained winds of 120 mph, and wreaked havoc throughout the area. Malinowski’s vessel appeared to not have sustained any main harm and remained seaworthy all through the night time.
Previous to the storm, a TikTok creator behind lots of the viral movies of “Lt Dan,” Terrence Concannon, began a GoFundMe to lift cash for a brand new boat for Malinowski.
Within the aftermath of the storm, as Tampa recovers, and residents start rebuilding after Hurricane Milton’s devastation, “Lt. Dan” and his trusty houseboat function a reminder of the energy, resilience, and, typically, sheer stubbornness of Floridians within the face of catastrophe.