TAMPA, Fla. — 54-year-old Joseph Malinowski, who has been dubbed “Lieutenant Dan” on social media, has survived record-breaking Hurricane Milton on his 20-foot sailboat.

The man nicknamed ‘Lieutenant Dan’ has explained how he came to live on a boat as he emerges from surviving Hurricane Milton. Quickly going viral, Joseph Malinowski is the stubborn sailor who refused to leave his boat in Tampa Bay as the dangerous storm pounded Florida this week.

Viral TikTok sensation Lieutenant Dan, whose real name is Joe Malinowski, garnered concern after making it known that he had no plans to leave his 22-foot sailboat despite being parked in Hurricane Milton’s path in Tampa Bay,