Officials Tried to Help Florida Man ‘Lt. Dan’ Before Hurricane Milton, but He Refused to Leave His Boat

Before Hurricane Milton made landfall in Tampa, Florida, officials there made an effort to help a man who went by the TikTok handle “Lieutenant Dan.” The man, whose true name is apparently Joseph Malinowski, defied their attempts to disembark from his 20-foot boat and chose instead to weather the storm.

Malinowski was filmed by Terrence Concannon, who uploaded the popular TikTok on October 8 and showed him justifying his choice. Malinowski, who was inspired by the Forrest Gump character, boldly declares his belief in God in the video, saying, “God told me to come out here and acquire a boat. I’m safe with him. We’re going to get through this. He brashly said, “Hell no,” when asked if he would be donning a life jacket, stating that his yacht was the safest place for him to be.

Around 43 million people had viewed the film as of October 9, garnering both local and national interest. Authorities in Tampa were worried about his safety, but Malinowski refused to leave despite multiple attempts to persuade him. The local police said that although they would have helped, they would eventually be unable to get to him due to the storm’s increasing conditions.

Mayor Jane Castor of Tampa first said that Malinowski had been rescued and taken to a shelter during a press conference. Brian Entin, a reporter for NewsNation, swiftly refuted this, posting a picture of Malinowski remaining on his boat as evidence that he had not departed. Later on, the mayor’s office stated that Malinowski had initially decided to depart but ended up staying.

Concannon, the person who first uploaded the popular video, launched a GoFundMe page in support of Malinowski, which raised almost $23,000. The money is meant to assist Malinowski—who has been called a “modern-day pirate”—in buying a new boat because his present one has “seen better days.”

With sustained winds of 120 mph, Hurricane Milton, a Category 3 storm, was predicted to make landfall on Florida’s west-central coast as of October 9. Malinowski made the decision to stay on his boat despite several orders for the locals to leave, putting his faith and the security of his craft at risk.

Dolores Catania mentioned that she needs to start using Ozempic again because she thinks she’s gained about 20 pounds over the summer. She said she’s going to get back on it quickly.

Dolores Catania is about to get her next Ozempic dose. She told Page Six at the MTV Video Music Awards that she’s taking her shot the next day and mentioned she’s overdue for it but hasn’t stopped using it.

Dolores Catania, 53, said she gained a few pounds this summer because of her travels. She visited South Africa for conservation work and Lisbon, Portugal for fun.

She mentioned that she’s probably 20 pounds heavier now and needs to start using Ozempic again right away.

Dolores Catania supports her decision to use Ozempic for weight loss, saying that many celebrities do the same, whether openly or privately.

She feels good using it and mentioned that she’s researched it thoroughly and spoken to many doctors, none of whom have said it’s bad for her. She also shared that her boyfriend, Paul Connell, has had great results with Ozempic. He lost 50 pounds and no longer needs blood pressure medication.

Dolores Catania was one of the first celebrities to openly say she uses Ozempic for weight loss, but she told Page Six in April 2023 that she does it for medical reasons.

She explained that she’s dealing with menopause, thyroid issues, and inflammation, which make it hard for her to lose weight. Despite working out and eating well, she was still gaining weight due to these issues.

While Catania has had good results with Ozempic, some people have warned about possible side effects.

Sharon Osbourne has said she’s lost too much weight from using Ozempic and now struggles to gain weight back.

Recently, Lottie Moss, Kate Moss’s younger sister, had to go to the hospital after getting very dehydrated and having a seizure because she took too much of the drug.

A recent study also found that Ozempic has been connected to 162 deaths in the US.