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Off-duty officer saves boy from drowning while off-duty in Muscatine

The Muscatine Police Department plans to give a life saver award to one of their officers for a rescue she preformed off-duty.

MUSCATINE, Iowa — The Muscatine Police Department plans to give a life saver award to one of their officers for a rescue she preformed off-duty.

Officer Whitni Pena was at a pool party on Saturday, February 29th, at the AmericInn in Muscatine when a 7 year old, Kaysen Simonsen, almost drowned.

"As soon as she pulled him from the pool deck, I took off running from the deep end, when I instantly got over there, the child was blue and purple to the face," Officer Pena said. "There was no signs of life at that point."

"Usually we hover over them, and this was the first time we decided that we will give them a little bit of leeway," Kaysen's mom, Amy Hahn said.

Kaysen's dad said it wasn't long after they dropped Kaysen off at the party that the phone rang.

"They asked 'did you drop a boy off in camo swimming trunks to the pool party?' And I said 'yeah' and they said 'well we had an issue, and by the time they got done saying issue, I was already running out to the car,'" Kaysen's dad, Brock Simonsen said.

 Officer Pena preformed CPR until the paramedics arrived.

"Literally, the police officer was running through the door and he took a huge breath and started spitting out the water," Pena said.

"She is definitely our hero," Hahn said.

Pena said it was a traumatic experience for everyone at the party.

"I've always been secondary on CPR, I've never been the first point person, so it's emotional," Pena said. "I mean it is scary. As soon as I was done, I started balling and hugging my husband."

Kaysen was taken to Iowa City and given a clean bill of health. Officer Pena hasn't stopped checking on him since the accident. 

"She was texting me at the hospital and she said 'there was definitely a guardian angel there,' and I said 'yeah that was you,'" Simonsen said.

Pena got to see Kaysen again. 

"He gave me a big hug and said thank you. You could just see the light in his eyes," Pena said.

Kaysen's parents say he'll return to school when he starts feeling better. 

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