A British tourist is missing after he dove into Lake Como to save a father and son.
The man, 37, was on a boat with the father, mother and two sons, moored off the commune of Dongo yesterday aftenoon.
The father and his 16-year-old son entered the water for a swim at around 1.30pm but soon began struggling, prompting the British tourist to dive in to help them.
Both father and son were rescued by a passing boat and taken ashore suffering from hypothermia but the 37-year-old was not seen again.
The lake is more than 200 metres deep in parts of the area where the incident occurred, making the search especially challenging.
The missing man is 'of Nepalese origin', according to Italian reports, which also said the coast guard had called in specialist units from Milan and requested underwater drones to help find him.
On Monday, firefighter divers, rescue boats and a helicopter arrived at the scene.
Fire services said: 'Operations to prepare and deploy specialised equipment are underway.
Lake Como is more than 200 metres deep in parts of the area where the British man has gone missing
'The search will continue tomorrow morning, with the combined use of divers and specialised equipment.'
Six people drowned in Lake Como this summer, including a nine-year-old girl.
British student Sam Rigby, from St Helens in Merseyside, drowned in the lake in July 2024 while helping his struggling girlfriend.
The 22-year-old died after he and Olivia Greenhall, 19, left their boat to go for a swim, but found themselves in difficulty as strong winds whipped up and their vessel drifted away with the currents, leaving them stranded.
The couple had been enjoying a romantic holiday, staying at a hotel in Tremezzina, and rented the boat just off the coast of Menaggio, four miles north of their hotel.
Neither could reach their boat or the shoreline, and as fatigue began to set in, Olivia lost sight of her boyfriend in the choppy waters.
She was saved when a passing boat passing noticed her struggling against the waves.
Sam's body was found later that day after two helicopters and a team of divers joined the search.
Do you know more? Email eliana.silvergokun@dailymail.co.uk