Officials Tried to Help Viral Florida Man 'Lt. Dan' Before Hurricane Milton, but He Chose to Stay in His Boat

Mar. 15, 2025

“My faith in God,” says the man, whose real name is Joseph Malinowski. “God told me to come out here and get a boat. I came out here and got a boat. He’s been telling me in the last two days I’m doing the right thing. He’s got my back. I’m in good shape. We’re gonna ride this one out.”

Asked if he will be wearing a life jacket, Malinowski says: “Hell no.”

He later added, “The safest place in the world to be is my boat.”

The video about Malinowski has generated about 43 million views as of Wednesday, Oct. 9, as well as local and national media coverage. Local officials say they became concerned for his safety.

Joseph Malinowski.GoFundMe

GoFundMe

“After several conversations, [Malinowski] informed our officers of plans to evacuate this morning, and we offered our assistance," a spokesperson for Tampa police said in a statement to PEOPLE.

“Our priority is making every effort to keep our community safe in this storm. However," the police spokeperson continued, “there will be a point where the conditions will deteriorate to the point where our officers cannot safely get to individuals which is why we’re making additional efforts now,” their statement continued.

But Brian Entin, a senior national correspondent for the cable network NewsNation, soon said that Malinowski was still in his boat and shared a photo of the man on the water.

“I know the Mayor of Tampa just said in her press conference that Lieutenant Dan went to a shelter,” Entin wrote in a post on X, which featured a photo of Malinowski’s head emerging from his covered boat. “He didn’t, I’m standing right here.”

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“Our public safety team has had multiple conversations with this individual to persuade him to make the decision to go to a shelter for safety as the hurricane approaches,” the mayor’s spokesperson said. “At one point [on Wednesday], just prior to the press conference, he’d agreed to leave his boat, however, it appears that he has not followed through.”

“We encourage all residents to heed the warnings that have been issued for days to evacuate Zones A & B for their safety and for the safety of first responders who must then put their lives at risk to save those who choose not to leave,” the spokesperson said.

Amid the attention on Malinowski, his past legal troubles have also come to light.

In February 2023, he was separately accused of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon after a woman claimed he put gasoline on her while she was smoking a cigarette, a probable cause affidavit states. Malinowski told police at the time that he “had thrown the gasoline straight up into the air,” according to the affidavit, and court records show the case was subsequently dropped, though it’s not clear why.

PEOPLE’s attempts to reach Malinowski for comment were not successful.

Concannon started aGoFundMefor Malinowski, which has so far raised some $39,000. “We’re rallying together to help our dear friend lieutenant Dan … He’s the kindest soul, never asking for anything but always ready to lend a hand,” Concannon wrote with the campaign.

Milton, which is currently a Category 3, is about 170 miles southwest of Orlando with maximum sustained winds of 120 mph, according to theNational Hurricane Centeras of 5 p.m. ET on Wednesday. The storm is expected to make landfall along the west-central coast of Florida later in the evening.

Adam Carlson

source: people.com