Joseph Malinowski, nicknamed Lieutenant Dan, spent the night from Wednesday to Thursday on his small sailboat in Tampa, during the passage of the powerful hurricane “Milton”. Good news: the man is doing well.
• Also read: Lieutenant Dan: Man swears he will weather Hurricane “Milton” on his small boat
At least that’s what Fox 13 anchor Kevin O’Donnell reports on X (formerly Twitter).
“’Lieutenant Dan’ UPDATE: He lived to tell about his wild night through Hurricane Milton on his 20-foot sailboat,” he wrote in a message accompanying a video in which Lieutenant Dan can be seen.
In the images, the man who braved the odds nevertheless seems disoriented.
A new internet star
• Also read: Impressive: See Countless Lightning Strikes Florida Ahead of Hurricane ‘Milton’
Before the “Milton” passage, Terrence Concannon, a student at the University of Tampa, posted videos on social media of Malinowski swearing he wanted to stay on his boat.
After the videos went viral, streamer Adin Ross promised to give Lt. Dan a new boat worth between $50,000 and $100,000.
Malinowski was also offered a deal by the streaming platform Kick to broadcast his sailing adventures.
Terrence Concannon’s first video, published three days ago, has been viewed more than 16 million times.
Joseph Malinowski’s nickname refers to the character Lieutenant Dan, Forrest Gump’s platoon leader, in the 1967 Vietnam War film of the same name. After losing his legs during the war, the lieutenant’s character becomes Forest’s partner on his shrimping boat (the Bubba-Gump Shrimp Company).
• Also read: “Milton” rips the roof off Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida
Remember that the hurricane caused significant damage in Florida, including uprooted trees, torn roofs and flooded streets. People also lost their lives, including to tornadoes caused by the storm. More than three million homes were still without electricity on Thursday.
