Lieutenant Dan’s daughter has criticized his new fans who have drawn attention to her father, saying his viral fame will lead him to an early grave.
Joseph Malinowski, better known as Lieutenant Dan, is a one-legged sailor from Florida who went viral for refusing to abandon his sailboat in the face of Hurricane Milton.
Malinowski’s first taste of fame came when University of Tampa student Terrence Concannon began recording viral TikTok videos of him as the storm approached.
Concannon organized an online fundraiser for the one-legged sailor, which received more than $46,000 in donations.
Joseph Malinowski was seen Thursday after surviving the storm on his boat
Joseph Malinowski, better known online as Lieutenant Dan, provided an update on his situation as he hunkered down in his boat during Hurricane Milton
Ashley Ann tearfully said her father “could end up dead” because of all the attention and money his fans send him
Streamer Adin Ross also announced he would buy Malinowski a new boat – an offer he apparently took up when the sailor’s long criminal history came to light.
On Friday, Ashley Ann Malinowski uploaded a TikTok condemning the influencers who turned her father into an internet celebrity.
On her account, Ashley Ann tearfully said her father would “probably end up dead” because of all the attention.
“Inspector Dan was doing just fine without all that money,” the daughter began.
“Your TikTok… famous people blowing it up… he’ll be dead before he can even enjoy that boat.”
‘Lieutenant Dan’ has had more than 70 contacts with police in Florida and North Carolina since 2012, according to public records from DailyMail.com
Ashley Ann then said her dad was “high” in all the videos, making her wonder “is it just weed?”
She explained that she had to ‘keep an eye on things’ [on her father] For ten years we have been trying to make sure he is still alive.’
“Now he’s going to have all this and he’s probably going to die because of it,” she said.
She said she was trying not to add too much “energy” to the situation, and made it clear that she just wanted to make sure her father was alive.
But when she turned to her father’s alleged enablers, she began to cry.
“You’re all going to put him in the grave for making him famous and giving him this money and offering him this s***.
Thousands have donated to student Terrence Concannon’s online fundraiser, which now stands at $40,000
“You guys don’t even know what the hell you’re doing. You don’t know that man. You don’t know him at all.’
With tears in her eyes, Ashley Ann then accused influencers of not really caring about her father’s well-being.
‘No one really cares about him either. No one really cares. You’re just using it to make it famous, to make yourself more famous, to look good.’
In the comments, many viewers expressed their sincere sympathy for Ashley Ann.
Malinowski had lost a leg in a car accident at the age of 16
“As the daughter of an addict, I feel this, and I am so sorry,” one user wrote.
“The pain in your voice breaks my heart,” another viewer commented.
Other commentators agreed that while some influencers had selfish motives, Concannon had pure intentions when he first started.
“The first man, Terrance, was serious about helping him. Then other people got involved and went too far.”
This week, “Lieutenant Dan” launched his own TikTok account, where he chronicled his survival on his sailboat during Milton. He currently has over 270,000 followers.
He was seen poking his head out of the boat around 11 p.m. as he insisted to NewsNation reporter Brian Entin that he was okay.
Although Milton made landfall as a Category 3 storm, it was later downgraded to Category 1.
But the ferocious winds were still able to tear the fabric roof of the home of the Tampa Bay Rays baseball club to shreds.
Milton also spawned at least 19 tornadoes, which caused damage in numerous counties and destroyed about 125 homes, most of them mobile homes.
More than 3 million homes and businesses were without power on Friday. At least 18 people are dead in Milton’s wake.