Featured Image Credit: GoFundMe/X/@BrianEntin
Topics: Florida, Social Media, TikTok, Viral, Hurricane Milton
Ellie Kemp
Topics: Florida, Social Media, TikTok, Viral, Hurricane Milton
There's been an update on viral TikTok star 'Lieutenant Dan' who refused to leave his boat as Hurricane Milton hit Florida.
It's not the guy's first rodeo, either. Also known as Sea Joe, he was introduced to the video sharing app TikToker Terrence Concannon ahead of Storm Helene last month.
Terrence began documenting Dan's life on his 20ft boat at Bayshore Boulevard before the storm wreaked havoc on the six states across the US, including parts of Florida.
Fortunately, Dan - real name Joseph Malinowski - survived, but he risked his life once again by staying put for Storm Milton.
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Feared to be among the strongest storms in the North Atlantic, it made landfall in Sarasota County last night with 120 mph winds.
US officials had called for residents to evacuate, or stay inside if they couldn't. Dan, naturally, was doing neither of these things.
Speaking in one video, he said 'bring it on' in regards to the severe storm warning.
Terrence himself had tried to convince Dan to go stay in a hotel until the storm has been and gone, but his efforts were in vain. Even the Chief of Tampa police has spoken to the seaman to try get him off the boat.
Now, Terrence has issued a highly-anticipated update on Dan's fate.
In a TikTok video posted just before midnight last night, Terrence confirmed: "Dan is still alive guys!"
Inviting his followers to join him and others on streaming site Kick, he added: "Everyone get on... [Dan] is alive and he is buzzing."
He also revealed Adin Ross had offered to buy Malinowski a new $100k boat.
Elsewhere, News Nation correspondent Brian Entin ventured out to Dan's boat to check on the seafarer himself.
In a video posted to X, which has been viewed some 1.3 million times, Entin shouts out: "Lieutenant Dan! Are you OK? Are you OK?"
Dan's head pops up from the boat's cockpit as he responds to the reporter. The winds make it hard to understand what he's saying, but he appears both unscathed and unbothered.
Dan fans were relieved to see he was ok. One person commented: "That’s the update everyone was hoping for, so happy to hear Lieutenant Dan is alright".
A second laughed: "The man is an absolute meme popping out of the boat like that... Glad he’s safe".
Previously, Dan explained his rationale behind the risky decision. He reasoned: "The water's going to come in, it's going to rise. If you're on land, it's going to flood. You're risking drowning. I'm in a boat, so the boat goes up with the water... it's really the safest place to be, on my boat."
Elsewhere, he said that 'God' told him to get a boat.
"He's got my back. I'm in good shape. I'm not sweating it," he added.