'Lieutenant Dan’s’ daughter issues warning after he went viral for refusing to leave his boat during Hurricane Milton

The daughter of Joseph Malinowski, aka 'Lieutenant Dan' has issued a stark warning about her father's new found fame.

Malinowski found viral fame online after he refused to leave his boat, despite the approach of Hurricane Milton.

University of Tampa student Terrence Concannon recorded a number of videos of the one-legged sailor which were posted on TikTok.

Following the success of the videos a fundraiser was started online to support Malinowski which has so far raised $46,000.

However, following Malinowski going viral online, his daughter has now come forward with a warning that the new found fame and the money could prove very harmful to him.

Ashley Ann Malinowski took to social media condemning the people who had drawn attention to her father online.

In the clip she warned that the attention and money could be the death of him, and accused them of wanting to make themselves more famous.

In the video which posted to TikTok, she said: "Lieutenant Dan was doing just fine without all that money.

"Y'all TikTok... famous people blowing him up... he's going to be dead before he can even enjoy that boat."

Ashley Ann went on to say that Malinowski was 'high' in all the videos she had seen of him and expressed concern over what he might have taken.

She went on to say that she had needed 'to keep tabs [on her father] for ten years, trying to make sure he's alive,' adding: "Now he's gonna get all of this and probably end up dead because of it."

Ashley Ann expressed her concern over the fame and money, saying: "Y'all are gonna f**cking put him in the grave for making him famous and giving him this money and offering him this sh*t.

"Y'all don't even know what the f*ck you're doing. You don't know that man. You don't know him at all."

She then took aim at influencers who had posted videos of Malinowski online, saying: "Nobody actually f*cking cares for him either. Nobody actually cares.

"Y'all are just using him to make him famous, to make yourselves more famous, to make yourselves look good."

Malinowski became widely known online over refusing to leave his boat as Hurricane Milton approached.

Speaking to a Sky News reporter prior to the storm, Malinowski said: “Five years ago, God put on my heart Tampa Bay and get a boat and that is what I am doing.

"I am here for God. He told me to be here so I am here.”

Asked whether he was nervous prior to the storm, he replied: “I am in a boat, and there is water coming in, I am going to go up with the water and when the water goes out I am going to go down.

“As long as I keep the water out of the inside of my boat, I’ll be fine.”