British man missing after rescuing father and son in Lake Como

A British man has gone missing after he dived into Italy’s Lake Como to save a father and his teenage son who were struggling in the water.

The group were on a chartered boat at the beauty spot with friends and two children when the incident took place at Monday around 1.30pm.

The 45-year-old father and his 16-year-old son swam away from the boat around 600m from the shore near San Siro on the western side of the lake when they got into trouble.

Local news outlets said that the 37 year-old British man then swam out to rescue them but did not return. He disappeared beneath the surface of the water while trying to rescue the pair, according to Prima Como.

An extensive search was launched to locate the man, involving specialist divers, rescue boats and a helicopter. However, he is yet to be found and authorities have requested further specialist support.

The father and son were rescued by a passing boat, suffering from the early signs of hypothermia.

The boy’s mother is said to have remained on the boat alongside her younger child, aged 10, and alerted emergency services. They were rescued by the Como Guardia di Fnanza unit and taken back to the pier where they were treated by paramedics.

An investigation is underway as to how the incident occurred with police checks taking place at the rental agency where the vessel was hired.

Authorities have brought in support from specialist teams and have requested the help of ROVs (remotely operated vehicles), which use heavy cables to search below the surface of the water.

Firefighter helicopters, ambulances and other specialist emergency services were deployed in order to assist with the mission as the search continues.

The depths of the lake range from 150m to 200m at its deepest part.