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.

Man Warns Others After Startling Light Bulb Discovery

House fires have always been one of my biggest fears. Although I’ve never experienced one personally, I constantly triple-check the stove, candles, and dryer vent for lint. However, a recent Facebook post by Kentucky resident Jason Whitaker revealed a fire hazard I never considered.

Jason shared that he kept smelling something like an electrical fire and almost tore his house apart trying to find the source. Eventually, he discovered that the smell was coming from a fluorescent spiral light bulb. Inside the bulb’s spiral coils were ladybugs, attracted to the light and heat, accumulating to a point where they nearly ignited.

“Inside the spiral coils of the light bulb was nothing but ladybugs,” Jason explained. His photos showed the potential danger, with the accumulation of ladybugs coming close to igniting due to the bulb’s heat.

If you use fluorescent spiral light bulbs in your light fixtures or lamps, be sure to check them regularly for critters trying to get warm inside. Jason’s experience highlights a simple check that could prevent a house fire.

“I found it important to share Jason’s post with you all,” he added, “as this is a potential fire hazard I would have never known about.”

Regular inspection of these light bulbs can help you avoid a dangerous situation and keep your home safe from unexpected fire hazards.

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