A good Samaritan jumped into Lake Michigan at Belmont Harbor in Chicago on Wednesday to save a baby after a gust of wind swept the infant’s stroller into the water.
The dramatic rescue unfolded at approximately 3 p.m. on the 3200 block of North Lake Shore Drive, a spokesperson for the Chicago Police Department told NTD on Friday.
Lio Cundiff, 30, was on the phone when he heard a woman screaming. Seeing the stroller plunge into the lake, he leapt into the frigid waters to reach the 8-month-old baby girl.
“I made sure to keep the stroller up because the baby was stuck in the stroller,” Cundiff told local station WGN. “So I needed to keep the stroller and her head up the whole time.”
As Cundiff struggled to keep himself and the baby afloat, another bystander, 43-year-old Luis Kapost, threw him one end of his jacket for support.
“I’m holding one sleeve, he’s holding the other, and at least they’re not floating away,” Kapost told the Chicago Sun-Times.
Other witnesses threw Cundiff a life ring as Kapost and the woman who had been pushing the stroller helped pull him out of the water.
Cundiff and the 8-month-old were both hospitalized for evaluation. The baby was transported to Lurie Children’s Hospital for observation and was initially said to be in good condition, officials told NTD. As of Thursday afternoon, Cundiff was still at Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center for testing.
It’s unclear if the woman was the baby’s mother or caretaker. Cundiff told WGN that she appeared to be Ukrainian and that a language barrier had made it difficult for them to understand each other.
Chicago police told NTD that the department does not identify the victims of crimes or such unfortunate incidents. The spokesperson said detectives are currently investigating the incident.
“Gusty winds will blow around unsecured objects. Tree limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result,” the notice reads. “Winds this strong can make driving difficult, especially for high-profile vehicles. Use extra caution.”
Following the rescue, Kapost, who is a pilot for American Airlines, commended Cundiff for taking such swift action.
“That’s the epitome of a hero, someone who’s going to act, to help somebody else they don’t know even though they’re placing their own life in danger,” Kapost told the Sun-Times. “He’s an absolute rock star.”