A Florida man named Joseph Malinowski, nicknamed "Lieutenant Dan," who went viral for refusing to leave his small home boat ahead of Hurricane Helena and Milton, was arrested Friday, October 18, 2024.

Florida’s viral sensation “Lieutenant Dan,” a man who gained internet fame for riding out Hurricane Milton on his 22-foot sailboat, is behind bars in Tampa.

Joseph Malinowski, who gained internet fame because of his risky decisions to ride out Hurricane Helene and Milton on his 20-foot sailboat, was arrested Friday on multiple charges including failing to appear in court, Tampa police said.

TMZ reports that the sailor, whose real name is Joseph Malinowski, was arrested in Tampa this morning (Oct. 18) and charged with two outstanding warrants for failure to appear in court, along with a misdemeanor charge for trespassing in a city park after receiving a warning.

Joseph Malinowsky, a Florida sailor, gained TikTok fame for riding out hurricanes on his sailboat, defying evacuation warnings. Despite his bravado, he was recently arrested for trespassing and other charges.

Joseph Malinowski, who made headlines for vowing to ride out Hurricane Milton in his boat, has added to his lengthy rap sheet

The 54-year-old, whose occupation in his arrest record is listed as "Tik Tok star," was at the Bayshore Linear Park and Dock on Thursday when police spoke with him, Williams said. He told officers that he didn't have "an accessible marine sanitation device aboard his unregistered vessel and did not have record of proper disposal of waste,

A Florida man known as "Lieutenant Dan" who went viral for claiming he was refusing to leave his small home boat ahead of Hurricane Milton has now been arrested for failing to leave a park-side dock.

Arrest records show Malinowsky was arrested for trespassing and failure to appear in court on previous charges of operating an unregistered vehicle and having no valid driver's license.