British teenager drowns in lake while on Switzerland family holiday
The boy was swimming from an island to the sunbathing area when onlookers noticed him go under
A British teenage boy has drowned during a family holiday to Switzerland while trying to swim to shore.
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The 17-year-old had been attempting to swim to shore from an island in the middle of Lake Cauma.
The young man had been visiting the famous alpine lake with his family when tragedy struck.
He got into difficulty at around 5.45pm on Thursday, Graubünden Cantonal Police said.
The boy was swimming to the sunbathing area when onlookers noticed him go under.
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Other swimmers and visitors to the lake rushed to his aid on paddle boards, according to Swiss news site Tages Anzeiger.
Members of the public are said to have pulled him from the water and dragged him to shore.
Medical professionals who happened to be at the lake rushed to start resuscitation.
The Flims Fire Department was also called to the scene.
He was airlifted to Chur Cantonal Hospital around 13 miles away but died in hospital later that evening.
An investigation has been launched by police and the public prosecutor’s office into the cause of the tragedy.
Lake Cauma is popular with tourists and regarded as one of the most beautiful mountain lakes in Switzerland.
LBC has contacted the Foreign Office for comment.