TV doctor missing on Greek island

A search is continuing for missing British broadcaster and healthy living advocate Michael Mosley, after setting out alone on a coastal walk on a Greek island in searing heat.

The well-known doctor, known for endorsing fasting diets, was last seen at 1.30pm on Wednesday when he set out on a short stroll along a rocky path on Symi between Agios Nikolaos beach and the village of Pedi, police officials said.

Dr Michael Mosley. Photo: Getty Images
Dr Michael Mosley. Photo: Getty Images
His wife, Dr Claire Bailey, reported him missing on Thursday morning.

Police, the fire brigade, coast guard and volunteers were searching for Mosley on land and sea, using a helicopter, drones and a rescue dog as temperatures hit 40 degrees Celsius.

Mosley, 67, did not have his mobile phone with him, which made tracing him more difficult.

"So far, we don't have evidence of what may have happened, whether it is an accident ... or something else," said a senior police official, who declined to be named.

Police were looking into reports that he had spoken to locals halfway through his walk.

Symi Mayor Lefteris Papakalodoukas said it was a 10-minute walk from the beach to Pedi. It would take another 40 minutes to reach a main road.

"It is very strange," Papakalodoukas told reporters. "You can't disappear, you can't get lost."

Helicopters are being used in the search for British broadcaster Dr Michael Mosley, who is...
Helicopters are being used in the search for British broadcaster Dr Michael Mosley, who is holidaying with his wife on the Greek island of Symi. Photo: Panormitis Chatzigiannakis/via Reuters
Symi is a sparsely populated rocky island in the eastern Aegean. It is about 17km long with around 2,500 residents.

Mosley is well known in Britain for programmes including the BBC series Trust Me, I'm a Doctor. He has also appeared on the BBC's The One Show and ITV's This Morning.

He popularised the 5:2 diet, which endorses intermittent fasting and has written cookbooks with his wife.

There were dozens of expressions of concern among colleagues and friends on social media for Mosley and his wife and family.

The story was on the front page of the Daily Mail newspaper, where Mosley is a columnist.