An extreme sports fan died as his horrified girlfriend and pals looked on when he was sucked down into a whirlpool while he was canyoning down a gorge.

Architect Alessandro Dall’O, 33, was with a group of friends scrambling down rockfaces and rivers in a mountainous region near Lecco on Lake Como, in Italy, on 18th May.

But as he lowered himself on ropes to a fast-moving stream notorious for its whirlpools he slipped and fell into the water and was sucked down by a deadly vortex.

As friends tried to save him he was, reports local media, stuck in the fast-moving current for several minutes.

And by the time they pulled him out, he was already unconscious and had suffered a cardiac arrest.

Paramedics rushed him to Manzoni Hospital in Lecco, where he was declared dead.

Local Deputy Mayor Mauro Gumina said later: “People often come here for canyoning, although in recent days, after the heavy rains, the water level is much higher than usual.”

Former girlfriend Andrea Conti told local media Dall’O was obsessed with high-risk sports and had even quit jobs because they did not give him enough time off to follow them.

She said: “He always had a passion for sports and outdoor activities.

“He was experienced and paid attention to safety. As far as I know, he had never been involved in serious accidents before.

“We are shocked by what happened and stand by his family; it is a great sorrow for all of us.”

Dall’O was training to become a canyoning guide and had started his own YouTube channel where he shared his climbing exploits.