A Florida man caught social media users’ attention after refusing to evacuate ahead of Hurricane Milton. Despite warnings, he stayed on his boat as the storm threatened Tampa Bay. Find out what motivated his risky decision and if he survived the century’s worst hurricane.
Hurricane Milton was projected as one of the most catastrophic storms Florida was set to face in over a century. A massive storm surge threatened to flood the Gulf Coast, raising water levels by up to 9 feet in certain areas.
The FOX Forecast Center warned that the storm might even surpass record-breaking surges seen in the past, such as those in the 1921 and 1848 hurricanes that devastated much of Pinellas County and downtown Tampa.
Meteorologists did not doubt that Milton would cause widespread damage, urging Floridians to evacuate. “Storm surge is the deadliest aspect of a hurricane,” FOX Weather Meteorologist Craig Herrera said.
But amid the warnings, one man refused to leave. Lieutenant Dan, a local who had anchored his 20-foot sailboat in Tampa Harbor, was adamant that he would ride out the hurricane.
As the storm approached, he explained why he wouldn’t evacuate, “God told me to come out here and get a boat. I came out here and got a boat, and everything that he’s been telling me over the last two days is I’m doing the right thing,” he said.
“He’s got my back. I’m in good shape. I ain’t sweatin’ it. We’re gonna ride this out one. We got set up the way… we know what we’re doing, and as long as the water keeps rising, we’ll be fine,” Lieutenant Dan continued.
He wasn’t just confident—he was defiant. He even shared that he wouldn’t wear a life jacket during the storm. “The water’s gonna come in, it’s gonna rise. If you’re on land, it’s gonna flood, you’re risking drowning. I’m in a boat,” he shared.
“The boat goes up with the water; so, even if the boat goes up [one] hundred feet in the air, I’m gonna be up [one] hundred feet in the air with the water. […] The safest place in the world to be is on my boat,” Lieutenant Dan added.
He also gave a tour of his modest vessel, which he had outfitted with enough supplies to last him through the night. The boat had a bed, a makeshift living area, and a tiny kitchen stocked with essentials like oatmeal, coffee, Cheez-Its, cases of water, and canned soup.
While his boat wasn’t perfect, with a few leaks here and there, Lieutenant Dan was confident it would withstand the storm. As he prepared for the hurricane, people warned him of a well-known parable about a man who refused to evacuate during a flood.
In the story, the man was waiting for God to save him, even though rescue efforts arrived in the form of a car, a boat, and a helicopter. Each time, the man refused help, believing God would intervene directly.
When the man eventually drowned and asked God why He hadn’t saved him, God replied that He had sent help in the form of the car, boat, and helicopter. But Lieutenant Dan wasn’t moved by the cautionary tale.
“God sent me here. He sent me here. He told me to come here. He told me to be right here for this. So I’m doin’ what he told me to do. So I know he didn’t send nobody to get me out of here,” he stated.
“And anybody that tries to get me out of here, they’re not of God, because God told me that this is where I’m [supposed] to be and that’s why I’m doing it,” he continued.