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At least 1 dead and 3 missing after tourist boat overturns on Italian lake

At least one person died and three remain missing after a boat was overturned by high winds on Italy’s Lake Maggiore Sunday. Photo courtesy of Vigili del Fuoco/Twitter
At least one person died and three remain missing after a boat was overturned by high winds on Italy’s Lake Maggiore Sunday. Photo courtesy of Vigili del Fuoco/Twitter

May 28 (UPI) -- At least one person died and three remain missing after a boat was overturned by high winds on Italy's Lake Maggiore Sunday.

The boat was carrying more than 20 tourists when it capsized in Northern Italy between the towns of Sesto Calende and Arona. Italy's national fire service reports that 19 people have been found safe as search and rescue operations continued Sunday afternoon.

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Everyone aboard the 52-foot boat went into the water, though many were able to swim to shore. The tourists were celebrating a birthday, BBC reports.

The region experienced patches of rain and thunderstorms on Sunday. Thunderstorm warnings had been issued over the course of the weekend.

Rescue divers continued to search for the three missing people on Sunday evening with the assistance of a helicopter. The rescue effort was largely concentrated on the southern region of the lake near the coast of Lisanza, Italy. Ambulances were on standby near the coast.

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Lake Maggiore is the second largest lake in Italy, spanning approximately 82 square miles northwest of Milan. It is a popular tourist destination on the south side of the Alps.

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