Michael Mosley: Search for missing TV doctor intensifies

Rescuers are continuing to search for British TV presenter Michael Mosley on the mountainous Greek island of Symi, the wide operation entering its third day after his wife reported him missing.

The 67-year-old doctor and healthy living advocate, who has endorsed fasting and offered tips on sleep and diet, was last seen on Wednesday.

He disappeared after he set out on a stroll in searing temperatures along a rocky coastal path from Agios Nikolaos beach to the village of Pedi. Mosley did not have his mobile phone with him, hampering tracing efforts.

As the search continued, Dr Mosley’s four children arrived on Symi and were set to help.

“We are very shocked and perplexed by what has happened to him,” his brother Arthur Mosley told UK newspaper The Telegraph.

“We know as much as what the police and the media has reported, but we are closely following the situation, and hope that there’s a good outcome.”

“Unfortunately, when you get to my age or his age, accidents like this can happen.”

Police, the fire brigade, and volunteers have been searching on and off the island in the eastern Aegean, assisted by helicopters, drones, and rescue dogs.

On Saturday, police searches shifted focus to an area opposite Agios Nikolaos, between Pedi and the beach of Agia Marina. The Daily Mail reported rescuers were exploring whether Dr Mosley had walked along a steep uphill concrete road before he disappeared

“The search continues,” spokeswoman Constantina Dimoglidou told Reuters. “We are investigating on foot another rocky part, the wider area of Agia Marina.”

Images shared with Reuters from a security camera in Pedi showed what is believed to be Dr Mosley, strolling by at 1.49 pm on Wednesday, holding an umbrella, suggesting he may have made it safely off the coastal path.

Symi Mayor Lefteris Papakalodoukas said the images and video footage from security cameras had helped sketch out what authorities believed was Dr Mosley’s possible route, which he described as “unconventional”.

They indicated that he may have continued further through Pedi into another challenging area around Agia Marina, the mayor said.

“He chose paths which are very difficult to walk in such temperatures and under any circumstances,” Mr Papakalodoulkas said. “Cameras show that he did not take the expected way back home.”

One rescuer said any decision to follow the path was “inexplicable” and it would have taken a fit young person three hours to walk to his destination.

“The path is not easy to follow, if he took a wrong turn, he would be lost,” the rescuer said, adding “he could be anywhere.”

Dr Mosley’s wife, Dr Claire Bailey, had been searching the island joined by her British friends.

She was reported to be looking through a wooded area above Pedi Bay.

The police search previously extended to the sea, with taxi boats urged to report anything strange.

Dr Mosley and Dr Bailey landed on the tiny island on Tuesday and were expected to spend a week there.

Dr Mosley was seen dressed in a blue shirt and shorts, resting a purple umbrella on his shoulder to shield himself from the sun as he strolled past a cafe less than half an hour after telling Dr Bailey he would walk back to their accommodation.

A confirmed sighting indicated he had made it away from the coastal path, which made it less likely he had fallen into the water.

With AP, Daily Mail