Man who saved baby blown into Lake Michigan didn't know how to swim
#Lake Michigan rescue #Baby stroller blown into water #Heroic rescue #Chicago Belmont Harbor #Lio Cundiff #Wind gust danger #Non-swimmer saves baby #Chicago February 2026
📌 Key Takeaways
- Lio Cundiff saved an 8-month-old baby from Lake Michigan despite not knowing how to swim
- The stroller was blown into the water by a strong gust of wind at Chicago's Belmont Harbor
- Cundiff fought to keep the baby above water until others helped pull them both to safety
- The baby is safe and recovering, while Cundiff is hospitalized but expected to recover soon
📖 Full Retelling
Lio Cundiff heroically jumped into Lake Michigan at Chicago's Belmont Harbor around 3 p.m. on Wednesday, February 19, 2026, to save an 8-month-old baby in a stroller that had been blown into the water by a powerful gust of wind. Despite not knowing how to swim, Cundiff immediately responded to the mother's desperate cries and plunged into the freezing water to rescue the child. 'We dipped a couple times,' he recounted from his hospital bed the following day, describing the harrowing moment when he wasn't sure how much longer he could hold on. 'There was one moment where I was like, I don't know how much longer I'm gonna hold on, so I just kind of grabbed her hand and just rubbed her hand a little.' Cundiff fought to keep the baby above water until bystanders rushed to help pull both of them to safety. 'Turns out I'm a fighter, I guess,' he remarked when asked what gave him the strength to persevere in those critical moments. 'I always though I was a runner, I guess not today.' The baby girl was quickly checked by medical personnel and is reportedly doing fine, while Cundiff remains hospitalized Thursday with a fast heart rate but is expected to be discharged soon.
🏷️ Themes
Heroism, Emergency Response, Weather Danger
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Original Source
Local News Man who saved baby in stroller blown into Lake Michigan at Chicago's Belmont Harbor didn't know how to swim By Sara Tenenbaum Sara Tenenbaum Senior Web Producer, CBS Chicago Sara Tenenbaum is the Senior Digital Producer for CBS News Chicago, overseeing editorial operations and social media, and covering breaking, local and community news. Read Full Bio Sara Tenenbaum February 19, 2026 / 4:46 PM CST / CBS Chicago Add CBS News on Google The man who heroically jumped into Lake Michigan to save an 8-month-old baby in a stroller who had been blown into Belmont Harbor doesn't know how to swim. Chicago police said around 3 p.m. Wednesday a powerful gust of wind sent the stroller with the baby inside into the water. Lio Cundiff heard the mother's screams and instantly jumped into the water to save the baby, even though he doesn't know how to swim. "We dipped a couple times," he told CBS News Chicago Thursday from his hospital bed. "There was… there was one moment where I was like, I don't know how much longer I'm gonna hold on, so, like, I just kind of grabbed her hand and just, like, rubbed her hand a little." Cundiff fought to keep the baby above water until others rushed in to help pull them both to safety. "Turns out I'm a fighter, I guess," he said when asked what energy took him over in those moments. "Always though I was a runner, I guess not today." The baby girl was checked out and is doing fine. Cundiff remains hospitalized Thursday. He is being monitored for a fast heart rate but is expected to be able to go home soon. More from CBS News Infant in stroller, man rescued after wind blows them into water at Belmont Harbor
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