Joseph Malinowski, a 54-year-old Tampa resident known locally as “Lieutenant Dan,” weathered Hurricane Milton aboard his small sailboat in Tampa Bay early Thursday morning. Despite the Category 3 storm’s powerful winds, Malinowski was unfazed, describing the experience as “pretty mellow,” even though his boat was repeatedly slammed against a harbor wall during the worst of the storm.
“I’m not scared of anything,” Malinowski told CBS News’ Cristian Benavides.
The hurricane center had urged Tampa and St. Petersburg residents to take shelter as “extremely dangerous hurricane-force winds” swept through the region, but Malinowski refused to evacuate.
As the storm intensified, Malinowski recounted how the wind picked up, causing his boat to crash against a wall in the harbor. To prevent further damage, he cut his anchor line, sacrificing a $250 anchor now resting on the bay floor.
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Article URL : https://www.cbsnews.com/news/florida-lt-dan-hurricane-milton-tampa/