In brief
The incident occurred shortly after 12:30 on 25 July 2026 off Menaggio, a town on the western shore of Lake Como, where the depth drops abruptly from 25 to over 100 metres.
A 45-year-old Dutch tourist (one source says 44) dived from a rented boat after seeing his 16-year-old son struggling in the water; the boat then drifted away with the other two children still aboard.
The 16-year-old was pulled from the water by a person on a stand-up paddleboard (other reports mention passing fishermen) and is receiving medical care, while the father disappeared below the surface.
Coast guard, fire brigade divers from Como and Malpensa (arriving by helicopter), a support boat from Dongo, and additional divers from Turin are searching the area, together with carabinieri and 118 medical staff.
- 12:45 - Emergency calls and search startMultiple 112 calls alert authorities; coast guard, Menaggio fire brigade, and carabinieri are dispatched.
- 13:00 - Divers arrive from MalpensaFire brigade divers land by helicopter (Drago 153) from Milan Malpensa airport.
- Afternoon - Additional divers from TurinFurther specialist dive teams are en route from Turin to support the underwater search.
The incident
A Dutch man aged 45 (one report gave his age as 44) had rented a boat with his three children and was out on Lake Como near Menaggio. Shortly after 12:30, his 16-year-old son ended up in the water and began struggling. The father dived in from the boat to help him. While he was in the water, the vessel began drifting away, likely carried by the current or wind, with the other two children still on board.
Father and son tried to swim back to the drifting boat but could not reach it. A person on a stand-up paddleboard approached and pulled the 16-year-old to safety (some accounts indicate that passing fishermen in a boat rescued the boy). While the boy was being helped, the father vanished beneath the surface and did not come back up. The exact spot where he disappeared is known for a rapid depth change, dropping from 25 metres to more than 100 metres.
Search and rescue
Calls to the single emergency number 112 came in shortly after the incident. The coast guard, fire brigade, and carabinieri of Menaggio were dispatched. Firefighters trained in water rescue arrived from Como, and a support boat was brought in from Dongo. Specialist divers reached the scene by helicopter from Malpensa (Drago 153), and additional dive teams were being sent from Turin. Medical personnel from 118 were also present. The two other children, who had remained on the boat, helped authorities pinpoint the spot where their father was last seen.
A second tragedy in the same lake
Five days earlier, a 10-year-old Moroccan girl drowned in Lake Como near the Tempio Voltiano. She had been playing only a few metres from the shore when she was pulled under. Swimming is prohibited in that area because of poor water quality, but the girl had been in the water.