A Florida man dubbed “Lieutenant Dan” has told how he survived Hurricane Milton after refusing to leave his boat during the storm.
Joseph Malinowski had earlier said "God told him to be there" as he explained why he wouldn’t be leaving his boat in hurricane-lashed Tampa.
Mr Malinowski, who lives on his 20-foot sailboat in the Tampa Bay, refused officials’ offers of being moved to a shelter and instead decided to stay put.
“God put on my heart to come here. I came here. I’m not going to run with a little weather. God didn’t send me here to die,” he told NBC News.
He added: “I’m not going to go anywhere. I’m in a safe position right now … I’m not at risk of sinking. I’m not at risk of getting hurt. It’s cosmetic damage. I can accept that.”
Mr Malinowski’s exploits earned him the nickname “Lieutenant Dan” after the character from Forrest Gump, who refused to leave his boat during a massive storm.
On Wednesday, Tampa Police said they had made efforts to get Mr Malinowski out, as the area was in a mandatory evacuation zone for vulnerable people.
Lieutenant Dan is okay! pic.twitter.com/0uthxRigRT
— Brian Entin (@BrianEntin) October 10, 2024
“Our entire department was brought to assist with efforts to include door-to-door notifications, used emergency alerts and audio messages to share information and connect our community with resources such as shelters,” a spokesperson said.
But despite reports that he planned to evacuate, and Tampa Mayor Jane Castor telling a news conference that he had been moved to a shelter, Mr Malinowski, who is missing a leg, insisted he was staying put.
He told media that police had made several unsuccessful attempts to get him to leave, but that he would only do so if the boat began to break apart.
“I’m still on my boat. I’m still afloat, and the rain’s coming down kind of hard, but that’s about it,” he told NBC News in a call on Wednesday.
“I don’t know, I don’t understand why everybody’s concerned. I’ve been doing this for years, and nobody was ever concerned the previous times.”
Hang in there, Lieutenant Dan! Defeat Hurricane Milton, or Mike Tyson will. pic.twitter.com/LDCQAiW9ma
— parachutesBTC (@parachutesBTC) October 10, 2024
By Thursday, Mr Malinowski, who has found fame in recent weeks on TikTok, appeared to still be alive and well in his boat.
He was seen sticking his head out of the boat at around 11pm on Wednesday night, telling a reporter he was “fine.”
In a TikTok video detailing his experience with the hurricane, he told his 242,900 followers: “I'm not taking on any water, I haven't even spilled my coffee yet.
“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.”
After the storm passed, Mr Malinowski told Sky News from his boat: “I made it through unscathed. It was pretty good.
“I’m ready to go back to bed. I stayed awake all night in case something went wrong.”
