'Lieutenant Dan' survives Hurricane Milton on his boat after refusing to leave
Joseph Malinowski, who was given the nickname 'Lieutenant Dan' after the character in Forrest Gump, decided to ride out Hurricane Milton at sea in Tampa Bay, Florida
A Florida man, known as "Lieutenant Dan", has miraculously survived the worst that Hurricane Milton could throw at him after defying orders to leave his boat. Joseph Malinowski, who lost a leg in a car accident when he was 16-years-old, ignored evacuation orders in Tampa Bay and decided to brave the night at sea despite police informing him of "nine shelters that are open."
His leg was amputated below the knee, earning him the nickname from Forrest Gump, where Lieutenant Dan loses both his legs below the knee during the Vietnam War.
At 11pm last night, Joseph was seen poking his head out of the boat to assure reporters that he "was fine" after posting an earlier TikTok explaining his situation on the boat. "They're saying the storm is still about an hour and a half out, and if that's the case and I'm feeling double of what it is now, that's not a problem, not a problem now," he informed his social media followers.
READ MORE - Northern Lights visible across parts of Ireland tonight as solar storm hits Earth
READ MORE - 'It is too late to go anywhere now.' Irishman waiting out Hurricane Milton speaks of 'nasty' impact
Joseph attempted to reassure people that his boat was "secure" in the 120mph winds and that it had not been seriously damaged during the storm. "I'm not taking on any water, I haven't even spilled my coffee yet,' he told his more than 242k followers "'I'm good, I've got everything I need, I've got plenty of water, I've got plenty of food.
I could be in here for two weeks. I've got everything I need - coffee, creamer, everything, reports the Mirror.
"Despite attempting to alleviate any concerns, the hurricane's life-threatening winds could be heard whirling around in the background during the seven-minute video. He expressed gratitude for the concern shown by his fans, some of whom offered to pay for a hotel or take him to a shelter, but he declined these offers. "I didn't plan this, I didn't expect this, but this was God's plan for me to bring the world together,' he said. "I'm doing my thing and whatever happens happens."
A GoFundMe campaign has been set up to help Joseph purchase a new boat to fulfil his 'seafaring dreams', and it has so far raised €36,000 of its €95,000 target. Despite ignoring pleas to leave his boat, multiple powerful tornadoes tore across Florida hours before Hurricane Milton made landfall on Wednesday.
These tornadoes ripped off roofs, overturned vehicles, and sucked debris into the air as they moved through in black V-shaped columns. Deaths were reported in St.
Lucie County on Florida's Atlantic Coast, but local authorities did not specify the number of fatalities. By Wednesday evening, more than 130 tornado warnings associated with Milton had been issued by National Weather Services offices in Florida.
Scientists say that the occurrence of tornadoes before and during hurricanes is not unusual, but the intensity of these twisters was.
Join the Irish Mirror’s breaking news service on WhatsApp. Click this link to receive breaking news and the latest headlines direct to your phone. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Related
Share this page
Guest Posts by Easy Branches
