Body of Hero Leicestershire dad found in Lake Garda

Aran Chada drowned after jumping in to save his teenage son.

Author: Maddy Bull and Richard Vernalls, PAPublished 17th Aug 2022

The body of a hero Leicestershire dad who drowned in Lake Garda after diving in to save his teenage son has been found.

51 year old Aran Chada from Woodhouse Eaves in Loughborough went missing after going into the water on July 22.

Underwater drones were brought in to help with the search.

In a statement, the Italian Coastguard said he was found on Tuesday, more than three weeks on, in 316m (1,036ft) of water, about 800m (2,624ft) from the shoreline and "more or less in the area" where he was last seen.

A Guardia Costiera spokesman said:

"The drowning... was probably caused by an illness following the rescue that Mr Chada had carried out on the first child, who was in danger".

Searches began last month after Mr Chada's wife raised the alarm by ringing the international emergency telephone number 112, and had continued unbroken - aside from a few days when bad weather halted work.

The operation involved police, a helicopter and naval and firefighter dive teams equipped with sonar and remote-operated vehicles.

Mr Chada, a sales director from Leicestershire, was reportedly on holiday with his partner and their children - a 14-year-old boy and a girl aged seven - and had been due to celebrate his birthday on Tuesday.

Speaking at the time of Mr Chada's disappearance, neighbours in the village of Woodhouse Eaves, near Loughborough, spoke of their shock, with one man saying: "They have been part of the village for years. It is just very, very tragic."

Another man, who has known the family many years, said it was "heart-breaking".