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Viral Florida man, ‘Lieutenant Dan,’ survives Milton, Helene aboard sailboat in Tampa

TAMPA, Fla. — A Tampa man who refused to leave the sailboat he lives on survived Hurricane Milton.

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Joseph Malinowski went viral online before the storm made landfall.

People gave him the nickname “Lieutenant Dan,” like the character from Forrest Gump.

Watch: Flooding along St. Johns River remains major concern after Hurricane Milton

He lives on a 20-foot sailboat and refused to evacuate.

Reporters caught up with him once Milton passed and he said he had a “mellow” night.

Watch: Coast Guard rescues man clinging to cooler 30 miles off Florida’s coast

“I wasn’t going anywhere, so I wasn’t concerned. It was alright,” Malinowski said.

Malinowski also stayed on his sailboat during Hurricane Helene.

Read: Hurricane Milton: How to help victims of storm

He said that Helene tested him more than Milton did.

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