Local business owner volunteers for flood victims

GRANGER, Ind. – Donations continue to pour in for the victims of Hurricane Harvey, but sometimes volunteers are needed just as much as those donations. One local business owner is using his skills to help those affected by the flooding.

Mike Davis, who owns Michiana Workboat, spends a lot of his time on lakes and rivers lifting piers, boatlifts, or other items out of the water with a 24-foot boat he made himself.

Mike decided he wanted to take the workboat down to Texas and help the flood victims.

He brought the idea up to his wife, Connie Davis.

“We kind of tossed it around, and I said ‘If you think you need to go, then you need to go.’ So that’s really how I felt, that he needed to go. That’s what he said; he just felt he needed to go,” said Connie.

Before heading south, Mike modified the boat, adding ladders to the front in case people needed rescued from the waters.

He left with his son, unsure of who they would work with or what they would specifically do in Texas.

It wasn’t until after Mike left that Connie saw a post on Facebook from an Indiana group called the Civilian Crisis Response Team. That group was already down helping flood victims.

She said “it was just a fluke” that she found that post. She messaged the group, mentioned Mike and says the group welcomed his help.

Connie says he is now doing deep water rescue with the Civilian Crisis Response Team.

Mike just arrived in Texas Saturday night, and plans to stay for two weeks.

“He definitely has a passion for helping people, and we love that about Mike,” said Kenny Holmes, a close friend of the family.

Mike is paying for this trip out of his own pocket. To donate to help Mike’s travel expenses, click here.

Connie says any donation money that exceeds what Mike needs will be donated to Hurricane Harvey victims. To keep up with Mike’s journey, visit Michiana Workboat’s Facebook page.