A 29-year-old man on Lake Garda before Sirmione A seven-year-old child was saved from drowning—and immediately afterward disappeared into the depths of the lake. Since Saturday, July 18, 2026, emergency responders have been searching for the missing person in water up to 52 meters deep. The rescued child was unharmed.
What Happened in Front of „Jamaica“ Beach
According to Italian media reports, the incident occurred in the afternoon in the waters off the „Jamaica“ (Italian: „Giamaica“) beach, not far from the Catullus Grottoes at the southern tip of Sirmione. The man reportedly noticed a child who was in trouble while swimming and jumped into the water. He reached the boy and brought him to safety.
Shortly after being rescued, the 29-year-old reportedly lost consciousness and went under, never resurfacing. Local media cite circulatory collapse as a possible cause. The seven-year-old child, who according to media reports is a British citizen, survived the incident unharmed.
Who is the missing rescuer?
According to Italian media reports, the missing person is Alexandru Olaisiu Sorin, a 29-year-old man of Romanian origin. He lived in Calabria and worked at a boat rental company on Lake Garda. From his workplace on the shore, he reportedly noticed the child in distress and intervened without hesitation.
Lake Garda: Divers Recover Prosthetics Belonging to a German Tourist from a Depth of 22 Meters
Volunteer divers recovered a German tourist's prosthetic legs, which he had lost while swimming, from a depth of about 22 meters in Lake Garda.
Search at a depth of 52 meters
The site of the accident is located in a particularly deep part of the lake: the bottom drops to about 52 meters there, which makes the recovery operation considerably more difficult. According to authorities, the Italian Coast Guard (Guardia Costiera) is on the scene with six boats, along with divers from the fire departments in Venice and Verona, the Carabinieri, the Guardia di Finanza, the Red Cross, and volunteers, who are searching the lake bottom using sonar and remotely operated underwater vehicles (ROVs).
To narrow down the search area, rescue workers are analyzing location data from the missing man’s smartwatch. Due to a nighttime storm, the search was temporarily suspended and resumed in the morning. As of July 20, 2026, the man remained missing.
Lake Garda: Italy's largest lake, with great depths
With an area of about 370 square kilometers, Lake Garda is Italy’s largest lake and reaches a depth of over 340 meters at its deepest point. The water can drop off rapidly even near the shore—a factor that makes rescue and recovery operations particularly challenging. According to local media reports, this incident is the latest in a series of fatal swimming accidents: it is reportedly the sixth fatality on the lakes in the province of Brescia—including Lake Garda, Lake Iseo, and Lake Idro—since the start of the 2026 summer season.
You can find more travel topics related to the region in our Lake Garda Overview.
FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions
Sources
- Il Giorno – Alexandru Missing in Lake Garda After Saving a Child (accessed July 2026)
- Giornale di Brescia – Investigations Are Following the Trail of the Smartwatch (accessed July 2026)
- Brescia Tomorrow – Hero on Lake Garda: Saves a 7-Year-Old Boy (accessed July 2026)
- il Dolomiti – The search continues for the missing 29-year-old (accessed July 2026)
- QuiBrescia – A Tragic Summer on the Brescia Lakes: Six Dead (accessed July 2026)
