Fort Gibson Man Offering Free Boat Rides Despite Losing Everything in Flood

While dealing with the aftermath of severe flooding in Muskogee County, people are making life a little easier for each other by giving when they can.

Friday, May 31st 2019, 11:20 pm

By: Amy Slanchik

Fort Gibson Man Offering Free Boat Rides Despite Losing Everything in Flood

Update: A Facebook fundraiser has been started by people who Mike helped out during the flood. Click here to donate.

While dealing with the aftermath of severe flooding in Muskogee County, people are making life a little easier for each other by giving when they can.

One man is offering boat rides for anyone who needs to get to the other side of a certain flooded road. Part of Highway 10 in Fort Gibson is flooded with several feet of water. On the west side of the water, part of a neighborhood is stranded but the homes are OK.

If you need to get somewhere in the Donkey Lane neighborhood, Mike Ogle is your guy.

“I don’t ask any questions. Just get in, let’s go,” Ogle said.

He’s making it possible for people to get to and from work, or wrestling practice. He’s also offered rides for students to get to a free basketball camp at the high school.

Some people, he said, just need to get out of their trapped neighborhoods and see the life on the other side of the water.

“There’s a little void here,” Ogle said. “And I can fill that little void getting these people back and forth.”

Ogle doesn’t keep track, but some in the neighborhood said he’s given at least 300 rides across highway 10.

And he’s not the only one.

“This guy has made 5,000 trips,” Ogle said as another boat passed by.

And with each trip he makes, Ogle is going past his own home, nearly up to the roof in floodwater.

“I could sit on the roof, but I’d rather do this,” Ogle said.

He could be spending his time focused on his loss.

“When I was taking stuff out of my house, people showed up that I did not ever know and I’ll probably never see again and they helped me load the trucks,” he said.

He’s giving back instead.

“You gotta pitch in,” he said.

People in the area who have heard about Ogle are bringing him fuel for his boat, food, and offering him a place to stay.

He said he’s not accepting any cash, but one man did give him a dozen eggs.

Amy Slanchik

Amy Slanchik is passionate about storytelling. She joined the News On 6 team in May of 2016 after spending almost two years in Fort Smith, Ark. She is a proud University of Oklahoma graduate.

","published":"2019-06-01T04:20:19.000Z","updated":"2019-06-06T21:06:26.000Z","summary":"While dealing with the aftermath of severe flooding in Muskogee County, people are making life a little easier for each other by giving when they can.","affiliate":{"_id":"5c784a0c4961cb23ad330098","callSign":"kotv","origin":"https://www.newson6.com"},"contentClass":"news","createdAt":"2020-02-01T18:36:48.017Z","updatedAt":"2022-03-31T19:24:00.027Z","__v":2,"breakingNews":[],"entities":[{"_id":"6242204f6880e45323acbdf8","text":"Mike Ogle","type":"PERSON","__v":0},{"_id":"62421cc86880e45323a697b4","text":"Muskogee County","type":"LOCATION","__v":0},{"_id":"62421ef06880e45323aa5042","text":"Fort Gibson","type":"LOCATION","__v":0},{"_id":"6245ffae6880e45323dd0ad4","text":"Donkey Lane","type":"LOCATION","__v":0},{"_id":"623b9f6c6880e4532398f53d","text":"Facebook","type":"ORGANIZATION","__v":0}],"hasBeenCheckedForEntities":true,"openInNewWindow":false,"show":true,"link":"/story/5e35c5402f69d76f620128de/fort-gibson-man-offering-free-boat-rides-despite-losing-everything-in-flood","hasSchedule":false,"id":"5e35c5402f69d76f620128de"};