Heroic Act Saves Baby from Drowning in Lake Michigan
February 20, 2026
An eight-month-old girl narrowly escaped a life-threatening situation when a strong gust of wind pushed her stroller into Lake Michigan at Belmont Harbor on Wednesday. Quick-thinking bystanders, including a man who claims he can’t swim, played a crucial role in her rescue.
Lio Cundiff / WGN News / NBC News
According to ABC7 Chicago, the incident occurred when the stroller rolled into the icy waters, prompting immediate action from witnesses.
Lio Cundiff, who admits to not knowing how to swim, was among the rescuers. Describing the scene, Cundiff recounted, “I see a stroller getting blown into the lake… and a lady screaming.” The child’s mother was too panicked to react.
“I can tell she was too panicked to do anything, so I was, like, ‘I guess I’m jumping in,’” Cundiff said. “That baby was — I wasn’t going to let that baby die. That’s crazy.”
Without delay, Cundiff jumped into the frigid waters of Lake Michigan, which remain perilously cold despite a rise in air temperatures. “Her kid could’ve been gone,” he reflected on the critical moments during the rescue.
Cundiff later recounted from his hospital bed, where he was held for observation due to concerns about his heart post-rescue: “I’m just glad the stroller was up, not face down. The baby dipped under a couple times, but I was able to keep her up. And she was breathing and crying when we got her out.”
Other witnesses assisted in bringing both Cundiff and the baby safely back to shore. The Chicago police confirmed that the infant was transported to Lurie Children’s Hospital for further observation and was reported to be in good condition.
