Now he’s in trouble.
The one-legged, sailboat-dwelling Florida man known as “Lieutenant Dan” — who went viral for refusing to abandon his sailboat during Hurricane Milton — was thrown in jail Friday because the ship wasn’t registered, police said of Tampa.
Joseph Malinowski, 54, of Tampa Bay, was taken away by police because he did not have a device to discharge sewage from his 20-foot sailboat, posing a public health hazard. Police told WTSP.com.
The seafaring scalawag, who fans called a “cult hero” last week, refused to leave the park’s dock after “numerous warnings,” police said.
He also had two outstanding warrants for failure to appear in court and trespassing in a city park, police added.
Malinowski became an overnight sensation when TikTok videos surfaced of him claiming he was weathering the raging Category 5 storm on his floating home last week.
His ship and single leg earned him the nickname “Lieutenant Dan,” a reference to the sweet but troubled Vietnam vet played by Gary Sinise in the Oscar-winning 1994 film Forrest Gump, who survived a hurricane on a boat.
According to Tampa Mayor Jane Castor, he was “rescued” during the storm and later taken to a shelter on October 9.
His sailboat has now been seized, police said.
In April 2022, Malinowski – who has a long criminal record – was released after serving a year in prison for punching a police officer in the nose, WUFT reported.
