'I Wasn't Going To Let That Baby Die': Man Jumps Into Frigid Lake Michigan After Stroller Blows In

February 20, 2026

When seconds mattered and a baby’s life was on the line, one man didn’t hesitate — even though he says he doesn’t know how to swim.

Lio Cundiff / WGN News / NBC News

According to reporting by ABC7 Chicago, a gust of wind sent a stroller carrying an 8-month-old girl rolling straight into Lake Michigan at Belmont Harbor on Wednesday afternoon.

Multiple witnesses immediately sprang into action.

One of them was Lio Cundiff — who says he doesn’t even swim.

“I see a stroller getting blown into the lake… and a lady screaming,” Cundiff told ABC7.

The baby’s mother could only watch in horror.

“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 hesitation, he dove into Lake Michigan — which remains dangerously cold despite warmer air temperatures this week.

“Her kid could’ve been gone,” he said.

Cundiff later spoke from his hospital bed, where he was being monitored overnight for his heart after the rescue.

“I’m just glad the stroller was up, not face down,” he said. “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 helped pull them safely back onto dry land.

Chicago police said the little girl was taken to Lurie Children’s Hospital for observation and was listed in good condition.