University of Tampa senior Terrence Concannon was walking his usual route in mid-September when he came across an unusual scene: a man in a sailboat being blown out to sea by Hurricane Helene. The man, 54-year-old Joseph Malinowski, later told Concannon that no one had offered to help him, with people dismissing him as “crazy.”
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However, Concannon decided to step in. He grabbed a rope and helped pull Malinowski’s boat back to shore, where Malinowski vowed to stay, regardless of the weather. This marked the start of what would become a viral sensation. Concannon began sharing Malinowski’s story on TikTok, documenting his determination to stay on his boat during Hurricane Helene and Milton.
As Hurricane Milton approached Tampa, projected to hit late Wednesday or early Thursday, social media followers and local officials expressed concern for Malinowski, who was refusing to evacuate his sailboat. Forecasters warned of a dangerous 15-foot storm surge, and evacuation orders were issued, but Malinowski remained steadfast in his decision to stay put.
Living on his 20-foot sailboat at Tampa Bay Harbor, Malinowski, known as “Lieutenant Dan” on TikTok, had been homeless for 10 years. At 16, he lost his leg in an accident, which led Concannon to compare him to the character Lieutenant Dan from Forrest Gump, a veteran amputee whose boat survived a hurricane. Malinowski embraced the nickname and even referred to it as his “TikTok character.”
The first TikTok featuring Malinowski, titled “Lieutenant Dan vs Hurricane Helene,” was posted on September 25 and has since amassed over 1.2 million views. As his following grew, so did concern for his safety, with viewers constantly asking Concannon for updates. Despite the storm’s impact on Florida, Malinowski claimed he had “slept through it” and that his boat was in better shape after the storm. He now has over 211,000 followers on TikTok, and a GoFundMe page set up by Concannon has raised more than $22,000.
For Malinowski, this newfound support was life-changing. “I had given up on the world years ago,” he said, but the viral attention showed him that people cared. He expressed gratitude to those who donated, stating he hoped to buy a larger boat to make a permanent home.
Despite this outpouring of support, many, including Concannon, were worried that Malinowski might not survive Hurricane Milton, which was expected to be the worst storm to hit Tampa in over a century. Concannon tried to convince him to evacuate, but Malinowski refused, saying, “God didn’t send me here to die.” TikTok followers even offered to keep his boat safe if he moved to a hotel room, but he remained adamant about staying onboard.
Tampa Police had made several attempts to assist Malinowski and others in evacuation zones, using emergency alerts and door-to-door notifications. Malinowski, however, was skeptical of their motives, believing they only cared about evacuation to avoid negative publicity. After the mayor announced that police had successfully evacuated him, Malinowski clarified that he was still on his boat and had refused to go to a shelter, despite offers from the city’s marine unit.
“I don’t understand why everybody’s so concerned,” Malinowski said. “I’ve been doing this for years.” He added that he would only leave if his boat started to break, but for now, he was confident he could handle the storm.
“If it’s just wind and rain, I can deal with that,” Malinowski said. “But if things start breaking, I’ll be out of here.”