Trans comedian hailed ‘a true hero’ after saving baby from lake
Lio Cundiff has been hailed a hero for saving a baby girl’s life. (GoFundMe/Bobby Crowley/Lio Cundiff)
A trans comedian has been hailed “a true hero” after saving a baby from drowning in a lake in Chicago.
Comedian Lio Cundiff has been hailed a hero after he dived into the freezing Lake Michigan to save a baby whose stroller was destined for doom due to strong winds.
In an interview with the Chicago Tribune, the 30-year-old recalled hearing the mother scream and freeze in shock.
“And so I just jumped in…
“My only thing was, ‘You got to get this baby out of here.’ If she’s going down, I’ll go down with her, but the goal is to get us both up.”
He told ABC 7 Chicago that he “wasn’t going to let that baby die” and could see that the mother was “too panicked to do anything”.
Cundiff recalled holding the stroller that had the eight-month-old girl in, while treading water for several minutes.
He said they both went under a few times, but were helped up a ladder to safety and taken to hospitals in separate ambulances. Both are in good health.
Cundiff, who described the incident as a “freak accident”, told ABC: “I hope she has a really cool future, and I’m happy I was there.”
Cundiff’s mother, Karen Cundiff, told the Tribune: “I’m so happy that this baby has a chance for a future and a life.
“I’m so glad both [he] and the baby are OK because both of them could have died.”
Cundiff, who describes his sense of humour as “darker”, said that his experience saving the baby may be used in future sets.
His best friend, Bobby, has launched a GoFundMe in a bid to raise funds for his hospital expenses and lost wages.
The fundraiser describes Cundiff as “a true hero” and it has raised almost $69,000, surpassing its goal of $30,000.
In an update on the fundraiser, Cundiff wrote: “I’m feeling overwhelmed and thankful to everyone who has supported me and donated! I’m happy to share that I’m in contact with the family and they are doing well, given the circumstances!”
The hero told The Guardian that he hopes his heroic act will show trans people are just humans.
“Because all I did was a human act,” he said. “We are human, and we’re the same as everyone else. And we don’t deserve the hate that we’ve gotten.”
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