British Tourist Missing in Lake Como After Rescue Attempt
A 37-year-old man dived into the water to help a struggling father and son, but has not been seen since.
A British tourist remains missing in Lake Como after diving into the water to assist a father and son who were struggling. The 37-year-old man was on a boat with the family of four, moored near the commune of Dongo, when the incident occurred.
The father and his 16-year-old son entered the water for a swim around 1:30 p.m. but began to struggle. The British tourist then dived in to help them. Both the father and son were rescued by a passing boat and brought ashore, suffering from hypothermia. The 37-year-old, however, was not seen again.
Search efforts are being hampered by the lake's depth, which exceeds 200 meters in the area of the incident. The coast guard has enlisted specialist units from Milan and requested underwater drones to aid the search. On Monday, firefighter divers, rescue boats, and a helicopter were deployed to the scene. Local fire services indicated that operations to prepare and deploy specialized equipment were underway and the search would continue the following morning.
Local reports have identified the missing man as being of Nepalese origin. This incident adds to a series of drownings in Lake Como this summer, which have claimed six lives, including a nine-year-old girl. In 2024, British student Sam Rigby also drowned in the lake after being unable to swim back to a rented boat.