Des Moines firefighters rescue child from Des Moines River near Principal Park

A child estimated to be about 7 years old was pulled from the Des Moines River near Principal Park on June 28, 2025, after a Des Moines 911 caller reported the child struggling in the water, according to dispatch audio and firefighters’ post-incident remarks in the transcript.

The 911 recording begins with the caller saying, "There's a kid drowning right by Principal Park in the river," and the dispatcher tells the caller that officers and the fire department are en route and asks the caller to watch the child while crews respond.

Acting DC 1 (identified in the transcript as the officer recounting the response) and DC 2 described conditions at the scene as hazardous: heavy recent rains had swollen the river, producing a strong current and "a lot of debris, like heavy debris floating down," DC 2 said. "When we got the dispatch reports ... we had a person struggling in the river."

Personnel said Engine 1 arrived before the river-rescue team’s boat could be deployed. The transcript names a department leader as "captain Van Holland" in one line and later uses the spelling "Kevin Van Hollen"; the record is inconsistent on the surname. According to the speakers, a crew member referred to in the transcript only as Joe made the immediate decision to enter the water because the child appeared exhausted after several minutes in the current.

"He's going in. He's gonna save the boy," Acting DC 1 said in the transcript as the crew made the rescue attempt. Speakers described a technique in which the rescuer wrapped a throw-rope bag and rope around his forearm before going over the river edge and swimming out to the child.

DC 2 characterized the action as "a true act of heroism" and said, "This guy's gonna get an award for it," while noting that responders typically do not take such risks for recognition. The transcript also names other personnel who assisted or backed up the rescuer, identified as Matthias and Waffle.

No formal policy change or procedural decision is recorded in the transcript; the speakers note that there is not always a standard operating guideline (SOG) that covers every emergent scenario and that such situations rely on trust in personnel to make split-second judgments.

The transcript does not include the child’s medical outcome after the rescue, nor does it record a formal departmental investigation or an official award motion; it records dispatch audio and internal personnel praise and recollection. The speakers give the incident date as 06/28/2025 and describe plans for an awards ceremony that some members may miss for scheduling reasons.

The department’s internal names are inconsistent in the transcript (Van Holland/Van Hollen); the article uses the fuller spelling "Kevin Van Hollen" where the transcript provides it and notes the earlier variant to reflect the record’s inconsistency. Other individuals are identified in the transcript only by first name or nickname (Joe, Matthias, Waffle).