Italian authorities are searching for a British man who disappeared after diving into Lake Como to rescue a father and son in distress, on Monday afternoon.
The incident occurred near the San Siro municipality on the lake's western shore. The man, described as being in his late 30s, had been on a boating trip with the family at the time.
The alarm was first raised at around 13:30 local time (11:30 GMT) by the mother of the teenager, who was on a rented boat approximately 600 metres from shore with her other child.
The father and son had experienced difficulty swimming when the British man dived in to help them. He began to sink and was not seen resurfacing. The father and son were later rescued by a passing boat.
Both were given medical treatment after suffering from the early stages of hypothermia, according to local reports.
The UK Foreign Office confirmed it is aware of the situation. "We are supporting the family of a British national missing in Italy and are in contact with the local authorities," it said.
Emergency services, including a helicopter, divers and boat units, have responded at the scene. The lake's depth can reach more than 200 metres in the area.
Rescuers are preparing to deploy two underwater robots to scan the lake bed in sections too deep for divers to reach.
Lake Como is located around 30 miles north of Milan. It is a popular tourist destination, attracting more than 78,000 foreign visitors in 2024, according to local chamber of commerce research. Water temperatures at the lake can begin to fall from September onward.
