British tourist missing after diving into Lake Como to rescue teenager
The teenager was taken to shore but the man, who had been on a boating trip with the boy at the time, has not been seen since
Italian officials are searching for a British man who dived into Lake Como to rescue a father and his 16-year-old son.
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The man, in his late thirties, jumped into the water to rescue the pair, who were in distress in the water near the lake's western shore on Monday afternoon, the local coastguard said.
The father and son were rescued by a passing boat, but the man, who was friends with the family and had been on a boating trip with them at the time, has not been seen since.
The teenager's mother, who had remained on the boat with her younger son, called the emergency services after she saw the man sinking beneath the surface.
The father and son were taken to shore in a coastguard boat that had responded to the call and were treated for hypothermia, officials said.
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The mother and younger son, who were adrift around 600m from shore, were then brought back to land.
The UK Foreign Office said: "We are supporting the family of a British national missing in Italy and are in contact with the local authorities."
The fire department, coastguard and state police drafted a helicopter, divers and boats to the search.
Rescuers were also preparing to deploy two underwater robots to scan the lake bed where it becomes too deep for divers, the Italian Coast Guard said.
The section of Lake Como being searched can reach over 200 metres in depth.
Lake Como, which is around 30 miles north of Milan, is a popular tourist hotspot.
It received more than 78,000 foreign visitors in 2024, according to the local chamber of commerce.
Water temperatures can plunge from September onward.