Current:Home > StocksWho is TikTok sensation Lt. Dan? The tattooed sailor is safe: 'Wasn't too bad' -Excel Wealth Summit
Who is TikTok sensation Lt. Dan? The tattooed sailor is safe: 'Wasn't too bad'
View
Date:2025-04-11 20:12:35
If you've been scrolling down #TampaTok during Hurricane Milton, you've probably come across Joe Malinowski, better known on social media as "Lt. Dan."
Malinowski, 54, was adamant about riding out Milton on his 22-foot sailboat. Many Floridians evacuated the state in droves to escape the looming storm, while others, like Malinowski, took their chances.
He said he had no problems during the storm, raising his arm in triumph as the sun rose over Tampa Bay.
The tattooed sailor had been live-streaming his adventures aboard the Seashell for several days, catching media attention for his plan to stay moored in the harbor as Milton passed.“The hand of god was over Tampa,” Malinowski declared Thursday morning. “It wasn’t too bad.”
Hurricane Milton:Hurricane Milton leaves destruction, but not 'worst case scenario': Live updates
Fans gathered to check on Malinowski after the storm: 'You made it'
Thursday morning, a growing stream of Tampa residents made their way to Bayshore Boulevard to check on Malinowski, whose “Lt. Dan” nickname refers to a similarly disabled Forrest Gump movie character. He is missing his lower left leg.“You made it! I’m so glad you’re safe,” Tampa resident Monet Rahall, 28, called down to Malinowski.Rahall said she had to come check on Malinowski for herself, after watching his videos while she rode out the storm at her nearby home.“He’s an icon,” she said. “I saw him on the Internet and wanted to see him for myself.”
Prior to the storm
Malinowski's story went viral through a series of videos posted by TikTok creator Tampa Terrence. Before the storm, he explained his decision to stay on his vessel.
"I put my faith in God. I don't put my faith in man," he explained. "God told me to come out here and get a boat. I came out here and got a boat. Everything he's been telling me the last few days, I'm doing the right thing. He got my back. I'm in good shape. I ain't sweating it."
Tampa radio station WUFT reported that Malinowski's background includes several criminal allegations and charges, among them assaulting a police officer and aggravated battery of a woman.
The comment section was flooded with people who considered his decision a bad idea: "It's a life or death situation," one user commented.
Weather experts and local officials stressed the importance of residents seeking safety from the potentially deadly storm.
"I can say without any dramatization whatsoever: If you choose to stay in one of those evacuation areas, you're going to die," Tampa Mayor Jane Castor told CNN.
Officials say Malinowski was rescued but was back on his boat hours later, report says
An updated TikTok video showed local police trying to convince Malinowski to leave.
During a press conference on Wednesday, Mayor Castor said that officers rescued him and transported him to a shelter, according to WFLA.
However, news reporters located him at his boat hours later.
"Dan is not leaving the boat for the hurricane. He is staying on that boat. There's been many attempts to get him off this boat. People have offered houses, hotel rooms, apartments, he will not leave," Tampa Terrence explained in a video.
Malinowski is garnering millions of views online
Malinowski is standing at more than 550,000 followers on TikTok as of the time of publication. His latest video has nearly 6 million views.
Tampa Terrence created a GoFundMe on his behalf titled "Support Lieutenant Dan's Seafaring Dreams." It has currently raised more than $37,000.
"His current vessel has seen better days, and we want to surprise him with a new boat to continue his seafaring adventures," the fundraiser said. "Let's come together and show our support for this modern-day pirate by helping him get a new ship to sail the seas!"
Taylor Ardrey is a news reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach her at [email protected].
veryGood! (1389)
Related
- Buckingham Palace staff under investigation for 'bar brawl'
- Novak Djokovic's results at US Open have been different from other Grand Slams: Here's why
- Ozempic seems to curb cravings for alcohol. Here's what scientists think is going on
- Jacksonville, Florida, shooter who killed 3 people identified
- The Louvre will be renovated and the 'Mona Lisa' will have her own room
- ‘He knew we had it in us’: Bernice King talks father Martin Luther King Jr.’s enduring ‘dream’
- Kentucky high school teens charged with terroristic threats after TikTok challenge
- How PayPal is using AI to combat fraud, and make it easier to pay
- New Zealand official reverses visa refusal for US conservative influencer Candace Owens
- Missouri's ban on gender-affirming health care for minors can take effect next week, judge rules
Ranking
- Intellectuals vs. The Internet
- What to stream this week: Indiana Jones, ‘One Piece,’ ‘The Menu’ and tunes from NCT and Icona Pop
- Workers exposed to extreme heat have no consistent protection in the US
- Ryan Reynolds ditches the trolling to celebrate wife Blake Lively in a sweet birthday post
- New data highlights 'achievement gap' for students in the US
- Massive emergency alert test will sound alarms on US cellphones, TVs and radios in October
- Q&A: Ami Zota on the Hidden Dangers in Beauty Products—and Why Women of Color Are Particularly at Risk
- Yogi Berra was a sports dad: Three lessons we can learn from his influence
Recommendation
Juan Soto to be introduced by Mets at Citi Field after striking record $765 million, 15
Zach Bryan releases entirely self-produced album: 'I put everything I could in it'
Longtime voice of Nintendo's Mario character is calling it quits
12-year-old girl killed on couch after gunshots fired into Florida home
The FBI should have done more to collect intelligence before the Capitol riot, watchdog finds
Lionel Messi will miss 'at least' three games this season with Inter Miami, coach says
Biden is ‘old,’ Trump is ‘corrupt': AP-NORC poll has ominous signs for both in possible 2024 rematch
Longtime voice of Nintendo's Mario character is calling it quits