A British man is missing and presumed drowned after intervening to save a father and son struggling in Lake Como, Italy, on Monday. Prasant Dahal, 37, reportedly jumped into the water to assist the pair, who had entered the lake from a rented boat near the town of Dongo, approximately 600 meters from shore.

The group, consisting of Dahal and a British family of four—two parents and their two teenage sons, all of Nepalese origin—were on the lake when the father and his 16-year-old son went for a swim and encountered difficulties. According to the coastguard, as the boat drifted further from the swimmers due to wind, Dahal immediately dove in to help. A passing boat rescued the father and son, who were then transferred to a coastguard patrol vessel. However, Dahal did not resurface.

Emergency services responded quickly following a distress call from the mother, with a fire brigade helicopter deploying divers less than 30 minutes after the incident at around 1:30 p.m. Coastguard boats joined the search, but no sign of Dahal was found on the surface. Witnesses reportedly saw him submerged, and authorities believe his body sank to the lake’s bottom. The location reaches depths of up to 270 meters, beyond the reach of divers. Two underwater drones have been scheduled to assist in the search.

Rescue officials noted that the lakebed’s rugged terrain, with rocky formations resembling the surrounding mountains, complicates recovery efforts. The coastguard has affirmed that all possible measures will be taken to locate Dahal’s body. The British embassy in Rome confirmed it is providing support to the family of the missing national.

Lake Como, formed by glacial activity, is characterized by its depth and cold temperatures even during the summer months, which can pose hazards to swimmers. This year alone, six people have drowned in the area, including a nine-year-old girl. Comparable alpine lakes in the region—such as Lake Garda and Lake Maggiore—share similar conditions, contributing to the risk associated with swimming in these waters.