Italian rescue teams are searching for a British man who vanished after diving into Lake Como to help a father and son who were struggling to stay afloat.
According to local coastguard officials, the man—who was in his late thirties and friends with the family—was aboard a boat with them on Monday afternoon when he noticed the father and his 16-year-old son having trouble swimming near the lake’s western shore. He jumped in to help, but was later seen sinking beneath the surface. The teenager’s mother, who had stayed on the boat with her younger child, alerted emergency services after witnessing the incident.
A passing boat managed to rescue the father and son, who were treated for early signs of hypothermia. The mother and younger boy, left drifting about 600 meters (roughly 2,000 feet) from shore, were also brought safely to land. The missing man, however, has not been found.
Search efforts now include a helicopter, divers, and boats from the fire department, coastguard, and police. Because the lake exceeds 250 meters (820 feet) in depth in the search area, authorities plan to deploy underwater robots where human divers cannot safely go.
The UK Foreign Office confirmed it is supporting the man’s family and coordinating with Italian authorities. Lake Como, located about 30 miles north of Milan, draws hundreds of thousands of tourists each year, though water temperatures begin dropping in September.
You can read the full BBC report for more details on the ongoing search.
Source: British man missing after diving into Lake Como to rescue teenager (feeds.bbci.co.uk).
Image: Jocey K, BY-SA 2.0 (via Openverse).