Who is Lieutenant Dan on TikTok? Florida man on boat goes viral amid Hurricane Milton

A man in Tampa, Florida, who has been dubbed ‘Lieutenant Dan’, has gone viral across social media for wanting to stay on his boat during Hurricane Milton.

Hurricane Milton made landfall across the eastern coast of Florida on October 9, 2024, and social media has been flooded with people attempting to brave the storm.

One such individual, Lieutenant Dan, quickly went viral across TikTok and other social media apps after word spread that he was attempting to stay on his boat during the hurricane.

He initially went viral thanks to an interview with TikToker Terrenceconcannon where he explained why he decided to stay.

“I’m in good shape, I’m not sweating it. We got it set up the [right] way, we know what we’re doing,” he said. “If you’re on land, you’re risking drowning. I’m on a boat, the boat will go up with the water.”

Naturally, viewers became worried about him as meteorologists warned that Hurricane Milton would be one of the strongest storms to ever hit Florida. Storm surges of up to 15 feet are expected, flooding much of the area Dan is located in.

Tampa police and many others tried to get him to leave his boat behind, but he was hesitant to do so because it’s all he owns.

During a TikTok Live on October 8, he said that if someone helped him find a place to stay, he would be willing to leave his boat to ensure his safety.

According to several users on X, the Tampa Police Chief eventually convinced him to abandon the ship.

“The Tampa Police Chief visited him and convinced him to go to a shelter. I’m so relieved!” one user commented.

However, on October 9, a man post a video of Lieutenant Dan on X where he confirms he isn’t going anywhere.

“I’m not going anywhere, because the safest place to be is on a boat during a flood,” Dan said.

Brian followed up with the viral TikToker later in the day on October 9, confirming he was still in his boat and safe.

“Just went over to check on Lieutenant Dan during a break in the weather – he just cut one of his lines because he said his boat was hitting the wall but he’s ok,” he said.

Adin Ross offers Lieutenant Dan a Kick deal and new boat

During his stream on October 9, Adin Ross linked up with Dan to make him a very lucrative offer.

“We’re going to pay for a boat for you, in the range of $50,000 to $100,000. And we’re going to get you a full-time Kick deal, which is a livestreaming deal, where you can livestream your entire voyages.”

Dan was shocked by the offer, responding, “I don’t know what else to say other than thank you, and bless you all. You’re giving me my life back. I’m 54 years old and I’ve never gotten to live yet.”

Dan also explained his past struggles with addiction and homelessness, and explained that Ross’s generosity would finally allow him to live, instead of just surviving.

After his stream with Adin, rumors swirled around social media with claims that the Kick co-owner rescinded his offer to Dan after finding out about his criminal history. The TikToker himself even shared the claims in a video.

Adin swiftly confronted these rumors, making it known that he never said he was rescinding the offer.

“I said this right after the clip where I reacted to Lieutenant Dan, I never said I was taking the offer/deal/boat away, the internet loves to make me look bad,” he said.

For those looking to keep up with the man’s posts, he has shared many of his stories of living in the boat on his TikTok channel.

Fans have also started a GoFundMe for Dan to replace his boat with something better. At the time of writing, they’ve raised over $30,000.

This comes just days after Hurricane Helene ravaged through much of Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas, damaging houses and leveling towns in the process. Former Fortnite Pro Tfue shared videos of his childhood home being ruined by flooding caused by the storm.