Now he’s in a boatload of trouble.
The one-legged, sailboat-dwelling Florida man known as âLieutenant Dan” â who went viral for refusing to abandon his sailboat during Hurricane Milton â was tossed in jail Friday because the vessel was unregistered, according to Tampa Police.
Joseph Malinowski, 54, of Tampa Bay, was hauled away by police because he didnât have a device to discharge sewage from his 20-foot-sailboat, creating a public health hazard, cops told WTSP.com.
The seafaring scalawag, who fans last week called a âcult hero,â refused to leave the park-side dock after “numerous warnings,â police said.
He also had two outstanding warrants for failure to appear in court and trespassing in a city park, cops added.
Malinowski became an overnight sensation when TikTok videos emerged of him claiming he would ride out the raging Category 5 storm on his floating home last week.
His ship and single leg earned him the nickname âLieutenant Dan,â a reference to the lovable but troubled Vietnam vet played by Gary Sinise in the Oscar-winning 1994 flick Forrest Gump, who survived a hurricane on a boat.
During the storm, he was ârescuedâ and later taken to a shelter on Oct. 9, according to Tampa Mayor Jane Castor.
His sailboat has since been impounded, police said.
In April 2022, Malinowski â who has a lengthy rap sheet â was released after a one-year prison sentence for punching a police officer in the nose, WUFT reported.
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