Dutch tourists spark major search after swimming across Lake Como

Two Dutch tourists caused a large-scale search operation on Lake Como in Northern Italy after jumping from a boat and swimming out of sight toward the town of Laglio on Saturday afternoon, NOS reports.

The pair, aged 23 and 26, were part of a group boating on the lake when they decided to dive in and swim to the 18th-century village. Their disappearance from view raised immediate concerns among bystanders, who were unsure whether the swimmers had reached the shore safely.

Emergency services were called, and a major search was launched that lasted into the late evening. Authorities scoured the area by boat and from the shore, unsure of the swimmers’ whereabouts or condition.

The swimmers eventually resurfaced in Laglio, the location they had originally aimed for. Later that night, the carabinieri, Italy’s military police force, located the two Dutch nationals at a campsite in Tremezzina, approximately a 30-minute drive from Laglio. Authorities have filed a report against the tourists for triggering a false alarm.