Italian authorities are conducting a search for a British man who went missing after diving into Lake Como to assist a teenager in distress. The incident occurred on Monday afternoon near the San Siro municipality on the lake's western shore. The man was reportedly trying to rescue a father and son who were struggling in the water. The father and son were later rescued by another boat, but the man has not been located.
The UK Foreign Office has stated, "We are supporting the family of a British national missing in Italy and are in contact with the local authorities." Emergency services, including a helicopter, divers, and boat units, have been deployed to the scene, where the lake's depth can exceed 200 meters, according to the Italian news agency Ansa.
Rescuers are preparing to use two underwater robots to search the lake bed in areas too deep for divers, as reported by local news site Qui Como. The alarm was raised around 13:30 local time (11:30 GMT) by the mother of the teenager, who was on a rented boat approximately 600 meters from shore with another child. The missing man, described as being in his late 30s, began to sink after diving in to help the father and son and did not resurface. Emergency services were contacted by the mother, and the father and son received medical treatment for early stages of hypothermia, according to Qui Como. Lake Como, located about 30 miles north of Milan, is a popular tourist destination, with over 78,000 foreign visitors reported in 2024, according to local chamber of commerce research. However, water temperatures can begin to drop in September.