Officials Tried to Help Florida Man ‘Lt. Dan’ Before Hurricane Milton, but He Refused to Leave His Boat

Before Hurricane Milton made landfall in Tampa, Florida, officials there made an effort to help a man who went by the TikTok handle “Lieutenant Dan.” The man, whose true name is apparently Joseph Malinowski, defied their attempts to disembark from his 20-foot boat and chose instead to weather the storm.

Malinowski was filmed by Terrence Concannon, who uploaded the popular TikTok on October 8 and showed him justifying his choice. Malinowski, who was inspired by the Forrest Gump character, boldly declares his belief in God in the video, saying, “God told me to come out here and acquire a boat. I’m safe with him. We’re going to get through this. He brashly said, “Hell no,” when asked if he would be donning a life jacket, stating that his yacht was the safest place for him to be.

Around 43 million people had viewed the film as of October 9, garnering both local and national interest. Authorities in Tampa were worried about his safety, but Malinowski refused to leave despite multiple attempts to persuade him. The local police said that although they would have helped, they would eventually be unable to get to him due to the storm’s increasing conditions.

Mayor Jane Castor of Tampa first said that Malinowski had been rescued and taken to a shelter during a press conference. Brian Entin, a reporter for NewsNation, swiftly refuted this, posting a picture of Malinowski remaining on his boat as evidence that he had not departed. Later on, the mayor’s office stated that Malinowski had initially decided to depart but ended up staying.

Concannon, the person who first uploaded the popular video, launched a GoFundMe page in support of Malinowski, which raised almost $23,000. The money is meant to assist Malinowski—who has been called a “modern-day pirate”—in buying a new boat because his present one has “seen better days.”

With sustained winds of 120 mph, Hurricane Milton, a Category 3 storm, was predicted to make landfall on Florida’s west-central coast as of October 9. Malinowski made the decision to stay on his boat despite several orders for the locals to leave, putting his faith and the security of his craft at risk.

Mom issues warning after 10-year-old son collapses after playing in the ocean

A day at the beach is the best way to escape the oppressively high heat, but despite the fact that it might offer some respite, one mother from Massachusetts discovered that the shoreline also has a special set of risks.

She now wants to alert people to this.

Despite the fact that the incident occurred over a week ago, Heather Cassini reported that she is still “shaking.”

Declan, Cassini’s 10-year-old son, suddenly reported he didn’t feel well on July 4 as the 40-year-old mother and her were in Hampton Beach in New Hampshire.

Cassini wasn’t worried at first. Declan had been playing in the ocean, and it was hot.

In a now-viral Facebook post, Cassini wrote, “I thought the breakfast was just too much for the waves and he just needed to lay down.” Declan became “disoriented” and fell into a sunbather as soon as they started to head back so he could lay down.

He managed to get back up on his feet, but he fell to the ground once more.

Cassini told Today.com, “I’m trying desperately to pick him up because I’m pregnant.” He is throwing up and experiencing bouts of unconsciousness. He was really pale.

When a group of women sat close noticed the disturbance, they moved quickly to intervene. While monitoring his vitals, paramedics attempted to keep him warm and alert.

“May God bless everyone in our vicinity. She remarked, “There were so many nurses.”

“He was up and talking after what seemed like a lifetime. Cassini writes, “We got him to the car and waited for him to feel better.

Declan was found to have hypothermia due to the 52 degree ocean temperature.

Cassini remarked, “I had no idea that this could happen.” “I never thought about cold shock; you think about sunburns and dehydration and all the things that can happen in the water.”

Declan’s miraculous recovery has led Cassini to want to alert others to the risk of hypothermia in the summer.

“Just a heads up to parents who have children who adore the water and don’t feel chilly. It doesn’t necessarily follow that they can handle it just because they can.”

It never occurred to me that hypothermia could occur on a sweltering summer day! Not just for those who are parents, but for everyone, this is such a vital message.

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