Four dead after tourist boat capsizes in Northern Italian lake

May 29 (UPI) -- Authorities in Italy said Monday that they have recovered the bodies of four people after a tourist boat capsized over the weekend on Lake Maggiore in high winds.

The boat, carrying more than 20 tourists and crew, overturned Sunday in Northern Italy between the towns of Sesto Calende and Arona. Nineteen people were reported safe, but search operations, including water rescuers, divers and helicopters, were deployed and worked overnight in search of four people reported missing.

Italian firefighters said in a Monday morning statement that the bodies of all four missing people had been found.

"After the search operations by #vigilidelfuoco, the recovery of the vessel begins," it said.

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

Attilio Fontana, governor of the Lombardy region where Lake Maggoire is located, identified the vessel as a 52-foot sail boat.

In a statement published to Facebook, he said it was overturned by a whirlwind.

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.

Joe Fisher contributed to this report.