Man who vowed to ride out Florida hurricanes on his boat is arrested in Tampa

TAMPA, Fla. — The man who gained social media fame with TikTok posts as he was riding out two hurricanes in his boat has been arrested in Tampa, Florida.

Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office arrest records show Joseph Malinowsky, 54, known as “Lt. Dan” after his TikTok posts, was arrested Friday for trespassing and failure to appear in court on previous charges of operating an unregistered vehicle and having no valid drivers license.

Malinowsky rejected pleas from officials to seek shelter and instead remained in his boat during Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton.

Malinowsky, whose nickname comes from a character in the movie “Forrest Gump” who rides out a hurricane in a boat, remained jailed Saturday, according to online jail records.

Court records do not list an attorney who could speak on his behalf.