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A knock at the door brought a Hamilton mother a moment seven months in the making on Thursday.“He’s here!” Amanda Pearson called out as Iowa State Patrol Trooper Steve Tucker stepped inside her home, greeted by “thank you” balloons and Pearson’s toddler eager to meet him.The reunion was a joyful milestone for Pearson’s 2-year-old son, Kinnick Beebe — who nearly drowned last August, but is now thriving again thanks to the actions of Trooper Tucker.The right place at the right timeLast summer in Harvey, Kinnick was found face down in a pool. Tucker was supposed to be off work at the time, but happened to be patrolling Highway 92 near the city. He took the call, and minutes later, found Beebe’s family trying to resuscitate him.For more than seven minutes, Tucker performed CPR, working to revive the child until EMTs arrived. Doctors later told the family they were amazed by how quickly Kinnick recovered — crediting Tucker’s immediate action.Now, Kinnick is running around his playset and playing monster trucks on his trampoline again. The sight is still hard for Tucker to wrap his head around.“Seeing him on that day and seeing him now … it’s kind of hard to believe,” Tucker said, calling it one of the happiest moments of his career.’Thank you’ that meant everythingEven after 31 years on the job, Tucker said moments like the one he got with Kinnick’s family are rare. Troopers often respond in crisis, do what they can, and move on without ever learning what happens next, or how it impacts the families helped.After the incident, Tucker checked in on the toddler’s condition through the hospital—an experience he said stuck with him, in part because it made him think about his own family, including his grandson.Kinnick thanked Tucker when he arrived, but the words landed differently for the trooper, because of how rarely they are heard by law enforcement.“We usually don’t hear when we do good,” Tucker said. “We always hear when we do bad or negative things, and it just means the world to us to know that we’re appreciated.”How the family found himFor months, the family didn’t know who the trooper was. That changed when Tucker received an award for rescuing Kinnick — giving the family a way to reach out and plan the meeting. When the day came, Pearson’s gratitude welled into watery eyes. “Thank you,” she said. “Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you.” In the end, the scene was simple: a trooper and a little boy, side by side, walking hand in hand, a life saved and a family kept whole.
A knock at the door brought a Hamilton mother a moment seven months in the making on Thursday.
“He’s here!” Amanda Pearson called out as Iowa State Patrol Trooper Steve Tucker stepped inside her home, greeted by “thank you” balloons and Pearson’s toddler eager to meet him.
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The reunion was a joyful milestone for Pearson’s 2-year-old son, Kinnick Beebe — who nearly drowned last August, but is now thriving again thanks to the actions of Trooper Tucker.
The right place at the right time
Last summer in Harvey, Kinnick was found face down in a pool. Tucker was supposed to be off work at the time, but happened to be patrolling Highway 92 near the city. He took the call, and minutes later, found Beebe’s family trying to resuscitate him.
For more than seven minutes, Tucker performed CPR, working to revive the child until EMTs arrived. Doctors later told the family they were amazed by how quickly Kinnick recovered — crediting Tucker’s immediate action.
Now, Kinnick is running around his playset and playing monster trucks on his trampoline again. The sight is still hard for Tucker to wrap his head around.
“Seeing him on that day and seeing him now … it’s kind of hard to believe,” Tucker said, calling it one of the happiest moments of his career.
‘Thank you’ that meant everything
Even after 31 years on the job, Tucker said moments like the one he got with Kinnick’s family are rare. Troopers often respond in crisis, do what they can, and move on without ever learning what happens next, or how it impacts the families helped.
After the incident, Tucker checked in on the toddler’s condition through the hospital—an experience he said stuck with him, in part because it made him think about his own family, including his grandson.
Kinnick thanked Tucker when he arrived, but the words landed differently for the trooper, because of how rarely they are heard by law enforcement.
“We usually don’t hear when we do good,” Tucker said. “We always hear when we do bad or negative things, and it just means the world to us to know that we’re appreciated.”
How the family found him
For months, the family didn’t know who the trooper was. That changed when Tucker received an award for rescuing Kinnick — giving the family a way to reach out and plan the meeting.
When the day came, Pearson’s gratitude welled into watery eyes.
“Thank you,” she said. “Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you.”
In the end, the scene was simple: a trooper and a little boy, side by side, walking hand in hand, a life saved and a family kept whole.
