Joseph Malinowski, a 54-year-old Tampa resident nicknamed “Lieutenant Dan,” bravely faced Hurricane Milton while aboard his modest sailboat in Tampa Bay in the early hours of Thursday morning. Despite the fierce winds of the Category 3 storm, Malinowski remained remarkably composed, describing the tumultuous experience as surprisingly “mellow,” even as his vessel was repeatedly battered against the harbor wall amidst the storm’s peak.
In an interview with CBS News’ Cristian Benavides, Malinowski revealed his steadfast resolve, stating, “I’m not scared of anything.” Despite warnings from the hurricane center advising residents of Tampa and St. Petersburg to seek shelter due to the “extremely dangerous hurricane-force winds,” Malinowski staunchly refused to evacuate, choosing instead to ride out the tempest on his boat.
As the intensity of the storm escalated, Malinowski recounted how the powerful winds forced his boat to collide with the harbor wall. In a decisive move to prevent further damage, he made the difficult decision to sever his anchor line, sacrificing a $250 anchor that now lay at rest on the bay floor. Reflecting on the harrowing ordeal, he explained, “I was getting bashed against this wall, so I went out and cut my anchor line to get away from it.”
Maintaining an impressive sense of calm amidst the chaos, Malinowski attributed his composure to his unwavering faith, expressing, “God told me to come here.” Recalling his journey from Colorado to Florida five years prior, he shared, “I’ve been in Florida for five years, stuck on the East Coast… I found this boat for 1,200 bucks. I bought it. I come to Tampa, and guess what? Can’t flood, not today, not yesterday.”
Drawing from his past experiences with hurricanes, Malinowski compared Hurricane Milton to previous storms he had weathered, including Hurricane Helene, which had struck the region just two weeks earlier and he deemed significantly more severe. Reflecting on the uncertainty surrounding Milton, he remarked, “They were calling for a Category 5. I didn’t know what to expect.”
Despite gaining viral attention on social media for his resolute decision to remain on his boat while millions in the Tampa area were under mandatory evacuation orders, Malinowski remained steadfast in his resolve. When asked about his plans should another hurricane approach, he affirmed, “I’m going to stay on the boat, no matter what.”
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