Dutch tourist drowns rescuing son in Lake Como, body later recovered

A 45‑year‑old Dutch tourist, Mattheus Gosseling, was on holiday with his wife and three children at Lake Como, Italy. While the family rented a boat near Menaggio, their 16‑year‑old son fell into the water and struggled. The father dove in to help; the son was rescued by a stand‑up‑paddler, but the father disappeared.

Italian emergency services, including the Coast Guard, fire‑brigade divers (Vigili del Fuoco), helicopters and sonar equipment, launched a continuous search from Saturday afternoon. The operation spanned surface patrols and deep‑water dives on the steep lake floor that drops from 25 to over 100 metres.

On 26 July the body was located at a depth of about 25 metres near Menaggio, recovered by divers and transferred to the Como hospital for authorities. The incident follows a recent drowning of a nine‑year‑old girl elsewhere on the lake, prompting renewed safety concerns for swimmers and boaters.