Angelo Mondragon was enjoying a day at the lake with his family. The Fort Collins, Colorado plumber says he had no idea that by the end of the day he would be saving a little girl’s life.

He was at Windsor Lake and had just waded out into the water when he felt something bump against his leg. Startled, he kicked at whatever it was, and then he spotted something that shook him to his core.

It was a tiny foot that had floated up to the surface of the water. He immediately grabbed the foot and pulled the toddler, a little girl, out of the water and went running to shore with her lifeless body.

He screamed for her family and for someone to call 911. He began performing CPR and two off duty nurses rushed to help while they waited anxiously for emergency crews to arrive.

The little girl was three-year-old Sitlali Hernandez. Crews arrived and rushed her to the children’s hospital in Aurora. Luckily, the doctors were able to save her.

Now Angelo says Sitlali will always be part of his family. He says he’s grateful that he was in the right place at the right time. He says as a father himself, he’s glad he was able to be there to rescue the little girl.

He was able to go meet with Sitlali at the children’s hospital and says that he wants to bring awareness to the importance of wearing a life jacket when out in the water.

Angelo believes that things might have turned out much different that day if Sitlali had been wearing one. He is working with local residents and businesses to collect life jackets for those who don’t have them or can’t afford to buy their own.

Angelo’s story has went viral and it’s easy to see why. Many have hailed him as a hero, but he says he was just doing what anyone would do. “As I told the little girl’s mom,” he said. “When I saw the baby’s toes that became my baby.”

Check out the amazing story in the video below and be sure to share it with your family and friends.