Rescue operations are underway on Lake Como’s northern Lecco shore for a German tourist who went missing late Tuesday afternoon. The man disappeared after successfully saving his two children, who had ended up in the water under circumstances still under investigation.
The initial reconstruction of events indicates the incident occurred around 5:00 PM on the lake near Dorio, a small town in the province of Lecco. The tourist was on a boat and dove into the water to rescue the two children. While he managed to get them back to safety on the vessel, he was subsequently swallowed by the lake’s strong currents and failed to resurface. Other tourists on a nearby beach raised the alarm after witnessing the man submerge and not return.
All available emergency units were mobilized for the search. Volunteers from Soccorso Bellanese responded with their rescue boat, and fire brigades from Bellano (Lecco) and Dongo (Como) requested the deployment of the Drago helicopter. The aircraft repeatedly scoured the entire area around the boat. Shortly thereafter, divers also entered the water at a point known for its powerful currents and prohibitively deep depths, even for experienced submariners.
The Dorio and Colico area is a popular tourist destination, featuring numerous accommodations, including campsites frequented by foreign visitors from Germany, Switzerland, and the Netherlands. To further support the rescue efforts, additional rapid-response units were called in Tuesday evening, and the arrival of divers from the Veneto regional team is awaited.
Meanwhile, law enforcement has begun initial investigations to piece together the exact sequence of events. Based on preliminary information, the family of tourists had reportedly rented the boat from the nearby Como shore, near Dongo. The father is believed to have jumped in to save his young children, succeeding in returning them to the boat before losing his strength in the waves. The official reconstruction of the accident remains under review by investigators, who are interviewing all witnesses.
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