Search continues for British man feared drowned in Italy’s Lake Garda
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LAKE GARDA
Italy’s coastguard said it was continuing the search on Tuesday for the body of a British man believed to have drowned in Lake Garda after diving into the water to rescue his son.
Published: 26 July 2022 10:38 CEST
A man is feared to have drowned saving his teenage son during a boat trip on Italy’s Lake Garda. Photo by CHRISTOF STACHE / AFP
The man was named by Italian and international media as 51-year-old Aran Chada from Leicestershire in England.
He is thought to have suffered a seizure caused by thermal shock when jumping into the water.
Chada was reportedly in Italy on holiday with his partner and their two children.
The family had taken a rented boat out on the lake on Friday when Chada saw his son struggling in the water and jumped in to rescue him.
A spokesperson for the coastguard stated: “The man dived to save his eldest son who was in trouble and managed to push him back to the boat but then he got into trouble.
“It was very hot on Friday afternoon, but the water was ten degrees colder, so it’s possible he had a seizure from the shock.
“The search went on for nearly seven hours and stopped when it got dark, but it has now resumed.”
On Friday, temperatures in the area were about 38C but the water was “a good 10 degrees colder”.
Local coastguard commander Antonello Ragadale told the Times: “This man was a hero and we fear he drowned, but we are doing everything we can to find his body.”
The UK Foreign Office said in a statement: “We are supporting the family of a British man who has been reported missing in Italy and are in contact with the Italian police.”