Tampa's 'Lieutenant Dan' reveals he's safe on boat amid Hurricane Milton: 'Haven’t even spilt my coffee'

TAMPA, FLORIDA: A one-legged Florida man nicknamed 'Lieutenant Dan' who made headlines for refusing to take shelter amid monstrous Hurricane Milton, recently shared a long-awaited update before battling the deadly storm in his 20-foot sailboat.

The 54-year-old 'Lieutenant Dan', whose real name is Joseph Malinowski, recently shared a TikTok video claiming that everything in his sailboat was fine approximately 1.5 hours before the hurricane was supposed to make landfall, per Whiskey Riff.

He said: "They’re saying the storm is about an hour and a half out, and if that’s the case, even its double what it is now, that’s not a problem. I’m not free floating. I’ve got my bow secured (to the dock), so I can only go so far from the dock… No structural damage, I’m not taking on any water. Everything is safe, hasn’t been bad. I haven’t even spilt my coffee yet."

He continued by saying that handling requests from social media and television interviews has been more difficult than actually facing the cyclone. He admitted, however, that it was an honor to be the subject of a global success story.

"Things are going to change. I didn’t plan this, I didn’t expect this, but this is what God’s plan was for me – to bring the country together, to bring the world together," everyone's favorite 'Lieutenant Dan' said.

Internet users root for 'Lieutenant Dan' to survive Hurricane Milton

It appeared like everyone on social media had hoped for 'Lieutenant Dan' to survive Hurricane Milton unharmed—possibly except for city officials who tried to convince him to evacuate.

One such X (formerly Twitter) user said, "I've never wanted someone to defy the odds more than Lieutenant Dan"

A second one added, "If Lieutenant Dan makes it... He's gonna go down as one of the most bada** residence of Florida It will be biblical! Money Twitter's praying for you, champ!"

"Keeping Lieutenant Dan in my prayers. Very alpha," remarked one.

Others expressed joy over the Florida man surviving Category 3 Hurricane Milton as one said, "My mans made it. I told y’all he was the Top G. Lieutenant Dan for the Winn!!! Like and repost this here to spread awareness."

Another exclaimed, "Wow, don't underestimate the Florida man!"

"That's amazing news! Lieutenant Dan is a true survivor!" remarked one.

One posted, "LIEUTENANT DAN is SAFE. He stayed inside his sailboat while Hurricane Milton passed through Jesus Christ truly had his hand on him tonight"

Florida man 'Lieutenant Dan' refuses to be rescued from Hurricane Milton's route

Following his refusal to leave the sailboat he was living on, Lieutenant Dan became famous because of videos uploaded on TikTok which caused a lot of people to get concerned for him.

Malinowski told NewsNation's Brian Entin he was "fine" and would not get off his boat. "I’m not going anywhere because the safest place to be is on a boat in a flood," he said.

He added, "We learned that with Noah. Everyone who stayed on land drowned. Noah and the animals lived," as per FOX59.

Malinowski turned off offers of assistance from strangers in the days preceding the hurricane, and Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercaw even paid him a visit before telling him to leave.

Hours before Hurricane Milton was predicted to make landfall, Malinowski insisted on staying put. He said, "You’re all robots. You’re all sheep, following the masses."

Tampa Mayor Jane Castor announced during a press conference on Wednesday, October 9, that 'Lt Dan' had been rescued by Tampa police and taken to a shelter that morning. However, Entin stated that Dan remained in his boat rather than a shelter as of 2.00 pm ET.

Entin told WFLA on Nexstar, "He is here. He is definitely on the boat. We can see him. He keeps popping his head out, and I just saw his hand."

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.