Viral sensation 'Lieutenant Dan' arrested for boat being 'public health hazard': police

A Florida amputee known arsenic "Lieutenant Dan" who was riding precocious for virally claiming helium was refusing to permission his tiny location vessel up of Hurricane Milton has present been arrested for failing to permission a park-side dock, the Tampa Police Department tells Fox News Digital. 

Police say that Joseph Malinowski, 54, did not person an accessible instrumentality to discharge sewage from his unregistered vas and did not person a grounds of due disposal of waste, which was creating a nationalist wellness hazard.

Malinowski failed to determination aft "numerous warnings" and was arrested astatine astir 7:30 a.m. Friday astatine Bayshore Linear Park and Dock. Officers said they had met with Malinowski the time earlier erstwhile helium was instructed to permission the park. 

VIRAL TAMPA SENSATION 'LIEUTENANT DAN,' WHO RODE OUT HURRICANE MILTON IN BOAT, DESCRIBES HOW HE SURVIVED

A Florida amputee known arsenic "Lieutenant Dan" who was riding precocious for virally claiming helium was refusing to permission his tiny location vessel up of Hurricane Milton has present been arrested for failing to permission a park-side dock, the Tampa Police Department tells Fox News Digital.  (Fox News Digital, main, Tampa Police Department, inset.)

Malinowski was taken into custody connected Friday and transported to Orient Road Jail. The unregistered vas was impounded.

He’s being charged with 2 outstanding warrants for nonaccomplishment to look and 1 misdemeanor complaint of trespassing successful a metropolis parkland aft warning, constabulary say.

Malinowski's concern was listed arsenic "TIK TOK STAR" portion his apprehension enquiry lists him arsenic unemployed, per WTSB. A typical for Malinowski tells TMZ that his squad is moving to bail retired the viral sensation.

Malinowski's "Lieutenant Dan" nickname appears to person travel from his resemblance to the "Forrest Gump" character with the aforesaid name, played by histrion Gary Sinise. Malinowski is missing portion of his near limb and uses crutches to get around.

He went viral for claiming helium would thrust retired Hurricane Milton earlier this period successful his 20-foot-long boat arsenic the tempest barreled towards Tampa. 

Despite pleas from section residents, instrumentality enforcement officials and the politician of Tampa, Jane Castor, to permission and question shelter, Malinowski chose to enactment enactment with his vessel tied to Bayshore Boulevard adjacent Tampa General Hospital. He besides rode retired Hurricane Helene successful the aforesaid boat.

Tampa constabulary effort to transportation "Lieutenant Dan" to permission his vessel arsenic Tampa was preparing for the accomplishment of Hurricane Milton connected Oct. 9. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

However, the politician of Tampa, Jane Castor, said helium had been taken to a structure earlier the tempest hit. Live TikTok feeds and quality interviews indicated helium was inactive connected the vessel refusing to permission the vessel.

Malinowski told Fox News Digital aft the tempest had passed that helium "wasn’t going anywhere."

"I ne'er planned connected leaving. The tempest didn’t scare maine due to the fact that I didn’t spot it. I didn’t constitute it. I didn’t marque it happen."

"It’s a boat," helium said. "You support the h2o retired of the boat, you’ll beryllium fine."

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Malinowski had antecedently caught the attraction of TikToker Adin Ross, who offered to acquisition "Lieutenant Dan" a $50,000-$100,000 vessel and initiated a full-time unrecorded watercourse TikTok woody wherever Malinowski could papers his "voyages" and nutrient income for the lone sailor via societal media.

However, Ross rescinded the connection erstwhile helium recovered Malinowski’s lengthy criminal record, which includes arrests for hitting a constabulary serviceman and allegedly trying to acceptable a pistillate connected fire, according to the New York Post.

Police tried to get "Lieutenant Dan" to permission his vessel connected Oct. 9 up of Hurricane Milton. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

"He offered it to me. I ne'er asked for it," Malinowski told 1 TikToker who recorded him live. "If you’re disquieted astir your representation and who you person moving for you, you should person done your owed diligence and looked maine up earlier you made maine an connection of $100,000 sign-on bonus, $50,000 a period with a $100,000 boat."

His different past charges see cause possession, attempted breaking and entering and aggravated artillery with a deadly weapon, according to the New York Post.

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Despite backlash, Malinowski said helium plans to thrust retired each future Tampa hurricanes in his boat, though the New York Post reported an unfastened lawsuit successful which the boat’s ownership came into question.

Malinowski said arsenic Milton inflicted harm upon Tampa Bay and "cosmetic damage" to the boat, helium started talking to God and meditating.

During meditation, Malinowski told Fox News Digital, helium envisioned a ringing astir him that helium believed mightiness person protected him from striking the channel’s wall. When helium became distracted from meditation, helium said helium thrashed against the dock again, causing much damage.

The vessel "Lt. Dan" stayed successful during Hurricane Milton, Helene (Fox News Digital)