A BRIT tourist has disappeared while swimming in Lake Como as desperate emergency services scour the water.
The holidaymaker, 38, got into trouble while swimming alongside the 15-year-old son of a family he had taken a boat trip with near the west side of the lake.
The Brit went missing near San Siro, Lake Como (stock) Credit: Getty
Moments later, the teenager’s father jumped in to help, but only managed to save his son before a passing boat pulled the pair to safety in San Siro on Monday.
But the body of the 38-year-old disappeared from sight, sparking a day-long manhunt with boats and a helicopter.
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Local outlets report that the man who disappeared is “of Nepalese origin”.
Firefighter divers arrived on site from Milan with the support of the Malpensa Helicopter Unit.
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After conducting initial operational assessments, they deployed Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) equipment for an underwater searches.
Two naval units from the Dongo and Como fire departments are also collaborating.
Local fire services said: “Operations to prepare and deploy specialised equipment are currently underway.
“The search will continue tomorrow morning, with the combined use of divers and specialized equipment.”
It comes after a spate of drownings in Lake Como this summer, including the death of a nine-year-old girl.
The idyllic holiday hotspot is long, narrow, and extremely deep as it was formed by a glacier.
During hot summers, the lake is still often deceptively cold.
In 2024, Brit tourist Sam Rigby, 21, drowned after he and his girlfriend went for a swim in Lake Como.
The boat they had used to get to the lake was pushed away by strong winds, leaving the couple stranded.
Sam was found dead by rescuers while his partner was saved by a passing boat.
In 2022 another British man, Aran Chada, 51, drowned in the nearby Lake Garda while trying to save his son who was struggling to stay afloat.
His body was found 26 days later at a depth of about 316 metres.
