Divers and specialist sniffer dog drafted in desperate search for missing TV doctor Michael Mosley
7 June 2024, 12:13 | Updated: 7 June 2024, 13:04
Divers and a specially trained sniffer dog are being brought to the Greek Island of Symi to help in the search for missing Doctor Michael Mosley.
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There are concerns the TV and radio presenter may have "fallen from a height" after he set off on a hike in the Pedi area at around 1.30pm on Wednesday.
His wife, Dr Clare Bailey, 62, raised the alarm after the 67-year-old failed to return back to their accommodation hours after he set off for the hike along St Nicholas Beach.
Authorities have drafted in the coastguard, put up drones and used thermal imaging cameras to scan the hills overlooking Pedi.
The Independent have also reported that divers are searching the island's waters.
Deputy Mayor Ilias Chaskas said they have “looked everywhere”, and now have “divers looking into the water” with the help of the Hellenic Coast Guard.
The TV doctor has a prominent Daily Mail column and makes regular appearances on This Morning and The One Show.
He also hosts the BBC's Just One Thing health podcast.
It comes after Eleftherios Papakalodoukas, the mayor of Symi, told LBC that Dr Mosley may have fainted and fallen off a cliff due to high temperatures.
Mr Papakalodoukas said the hike would have been dangerous, as temperatures reached 35C on Wednesday.
A yellow weather warning is in place for the region, adding to concerns.
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The risk would have been heightened if he did not have any water with him, and he may have suffered dehydration.
He said there were “very high cliffs” and rocky terrain on the route from St Nicholas Beach to Pedi.
"We have looked everywhere but we can’t find him," he said.
He added that the search and rescue operation would continue for five days, after which they will have to give up on efforts to find Dr Mosley unless they receive more support from the Greek or British authorities.
Mr Papakalodoukas also said that it would be "impossible" for Dr Mosley to still be in the same area of Symi.
"It is a very small, controlled area, full of people. So if something happened to him there, we would have found him by now," he said.
An FCDO spokesperson said: “We are supporting the family of a British man who is missing in Greece and are in contact with the local authorities.”
