Iowa Firefighter Honored After Saving a Boy From Drowning

A Des Moines fire captain has been awarded the department's Medal of Honor after saving a 7-year-old boy from drowning last summer in the Des Moines River.

Firefighter Awarded the Medal of Honor

KCCI reports that on June 28, 2025, Des Moines fire captain Joe Van Haalen responded to a report of a child clinging to a wire in the middle of the Des Moines River near Principal Park. Recent rains had made the river rough and full of debris. When he realized he didn't have time to wait for the WET rescue team, Van Haalen tied a rope around his forearm, lowered himself into the water, and rescued the boy, according to KCCI. 

First Time the Award Has Been Given in a Decade

A department spokesperson said that Van Haalen did what leaders do; he assesed and he committed, according to KCCI. The department awarded him the Medal of Honor. The rare award hasn't been given out in over a decade in Des Moines.

Van Haalen said of the situation that day, "There was no way that we could leave him in this predicament that he was in."

Two other Des Moines firefighters were also given awards for their roles in the rescue, according to KCCI.

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