Here’s How ‘Lt Dan’ Survived Hurricane Milton In A Tiny Sailboat

by John Konrad (gCaptain) Joseph Malinowski, nicknamed “Lieutenant Dan” went viral after defying both a massive hurricane and authorities’ pleas to evacuate, choosing to stay aboard his tiny 22-foot sailboat SeaShell as Hurricane Milton battered Florida’s Gulf Coast. A GoFundMe for the sailor has collected over $37,000 so far. The storm, which ultimately made landfall south of Tampa as a Category 3 with winds reaching 120 mph, dragged waters out of the bay and pummeled the area, leaving millions without power but Malinowski survived unscathed with only “cosmetic damage” to his boat.

Luck, determination, an act of God, and yes, even skill all contributed to Lt. Dan’s survival.

The real drama unfolded yesterday after the U.S. Coast Guard evacuated the Port of Tampa and Pete Buttigieg said storm damage would be catastrophic. Tampa Mayor Jane Castor — who had previously warned that anyone remaining in the city would die — announced during a press conference that “Lieutenant Dan” had been “rescued” and taken to a shelter by local police. She hailed the sailor’s relocation as a triumph of persuasion. “If we can get Lieutenant Dan to go to a shelter,” she declared, “we can get anybody to do that.”

But moments later, Malinowski— a partial amputee who gained his nickname after Gary Sinise’s character who braved a hurricane aboard a shrimp boat in Forrest Gump—was seen calmly aboard his sailboat docked in Tampa Bay. As the winds roared and the water level dropped dramatically, NewsNation correspondent Brian Entin tweeted a photo of the stubborn sailor peeking out from the boat’s canvas cover, debunking the mayor’s statement.

“I know the Mayor of Tampa just said in her press conference that Lieutenant Dan went to a shelter. He didn’t, I’m standing right here,” Entin tweeted.

In a video posted later, Entin returned to check on Malinowski, who was still tied up at the dock. When asked if he was okay, the one-legged sailor responded with characteristic nonchalance: “I’m fine. Right now, I’m doing fine. I’m stuck here. I can’t go anywhere.”

Despite widespread warnings, Malinowski had shrugged off pleas to evacuate, stating, “The safest place to be in a flood is on a boat. We learned that with Noah. Everyone that stayed on land drowned. If the tide goes up, I go up. As long as the water stays out of the boat, I’ll be fine.”

He even joined a TikTok livestream with other local personalities during the storm, casually explaining that the strong winds had knocked him “banging into the wall a few times, but that was to be expected.”

Later that evening, a video surfaced on X showing a small sailboat, its mast torn away by the storm, crashing against a seawall. The footage, which quickly went viral with dozens of retweets, captured the fiberglass sailboat being battered relentlessly against the concrete barrier. While many viewers initially feared it was Malinowski in peril, it was soon confirmed that the boat did not belong to Lt. Dan.

Meanwhile, a GoFundMe was launched by his supporters, who described him as “buzzing” in the aftermath. The internet rallied around the sailor, even as city officials expressed frustration at those who disregarded safety warnings. Malinowski says he will use the money to purchase a new boat.

“I appreciate it from the bottom of my heart. I’m upgrading. I need a bigger boat,” Malinowski told TikToker Tampa Terrence early this morning. “I really want something like 35-foot boat. I only purchased this one because it was in my price range. I was on disability and social security. After 22 years the government told me I’m not longer disabled. I once got a check every month. Now I get nothing. “

As Hurricane Milton subsided, Malinowski’s defiance made him a symbol of resilience—or recklessness—depending on whom you ask. What’s clear is that while Tampa’s authorities thought they had convinced everyone to flee, Lieutenant Dan wasn’t going anywhere.

How did ‘Lt Dan’ Survive Hurricane Milton?

According to Malinowski it was God who kept him safe.

“I’m blessed every day,” said Malinowski this morning. “Like God says, ‘Give us this day our daily bread.’ I’ve got everything I need. God is good, and you people are all angels. I’m not asking for much—instead of giving money to the church, give it to me.”

Even the most devout may question if god protected a man who wants donations diverted from the church to a new boat fund. So how did he survive?

Malinowski’s boat was small and ill-equipped. Skilled sailors can save small boats like his from hurricane-force winds, but typically they do so by motoring the boat up a small creek, deploying multiple large anchors with heavy chain, and running sturdy lines from all four quadrants of the boat to trees ashore. But Malinowski had neither a spare anchor nor additional lines long enough. His engine also didn’t work, making an up-a-creek voyage problematic.

Instead, he stayed in downtown Tampa.

His initial strategy was to dock parallel to a floating dock, but as the winds intensified, his boat was repeatedly slammed against it. Realizing this wasn’t working, he switched to a Mediterranean mooring—positioning his boat perpendicular to a seawall with the bow pointing outward. This method involves leading the anchor out to the middle of the channel and backing the boat into the dock, securing the stern with lines. It’s unclear how Malinowski managed to set the anchor and pivot his boat without a functioning engine. However, as the hurricane drew water from Tampa Bay, it might have been possible for him to wade out and set the anchor manually.

An Act Of God

This skillful maneuver certainly helped prevent his fiberglass boat from slamming but it was in fact an act of god that helped him most.

Just days earlier, when authorities were preparing evacuation orders, Hurricane Milton was breaking wind speed records due to its unusually tight storm formation. However, as it moved from the Yucatan Peninsula up towards Florida, the storm widened, decreasing its rotational force and dropping from a Category 5 to a Category 3 hurricane.

Second, the right front quadrant of a hurricane, known as the “dirty side,” is the most dangerous. This area experiences maximum winds, storm surge, and tornado threats. Authorities initially predicted this quadrant would hit Tampa. However, by late Wednesday, it became clear the storm was tracking slightly south— the eye landed with sustained winds of ‘just’ 120 mph at Siesta Key just south of Sarasota.- sparing Tampa from the worst. Instead of the predicted 15-foot storm surge pushing water into Tampa Bay, the opposing winds on the less dangerous side actually pulled water out.

The less dangerous left quadrant—with winds moving in the opposite direction of the storm’s motion—has lower wind speeds.

Bottom Line

Lieutenant Dan’s defiance became a symbol of grit or foolishness, depending on who you ask. His luck was undeniable: Hurricane Milton’s shift south spared him from the worst. While authorities saw his decision to stay as reckless, the sailor saw it as divine protection. Regardless, it was a mix of skill, fortune, help from social media influencers willing to check on him to assist, and the hurricane’s more southerly path that kept him and his small sailboat afloat. Now, with a new boat fund growing, Malinowski’s next adventure may be just around the corner—let’s hope he chooses smoother waters next time.

We hope that when the next major hurricane hits, other boaters won’t ignore warnings and follow his dangerous example. This isn’t to say they shouldn’t try to save their boats—it would have been wiser to motor up a creek or leave Tampa Bay early and sail to Panama City, as Commander Karen Love Kutkiewicz, captain of the USCG’s Tampa-based Cutter Venturous, smartly did just before the storm. But as Napoleon said and General Eisenhower reiterated, sometimes it’s better to be lucky than smart.

Read Next: FEMA Fumbles Again: Naval Resources Left Idle in Hurricane Milton Response

Related Video – How To Survive a Storm Up A Creek In A Sailboat 

For those interested in learning how to save a sailboat using the “up a creek” method, there’s an informative video featuring the SV Alluring Arctic that demonstrates storm preparation techniques in Alaska. 

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