Missing TV doctor Michael Mosley 'may have fainted and fallen off a cliff' while hiking on Greek island, LBC told

6 June 2024, 19:43 | Updated: 7 June 2024, 07:21

TV doctor Michael Mosley may have fainted and fallen off a cliff, LBC has been told, after he went missing during a coastal walk on a Greek holiday.

Eleftherios Papakalodoukas, the mayor of Symi, the Greek island where Dr Mosley vanished, said that he could have passed out a result of the high temperatures.

Police said earlier that they were keeping an open mind on what had happened to the doctor,

Dr Mosley went missing while hiking from St Nicholas Beach, his last known location, to Pedi, another beach.

The 67-year-old set off at about 1.30pm on Wednesday, and his wife Dr Clare Bailey, 62, raised the alarm after he failed to return back to their accommodation hours later at 7.30pm.

Mr Papakalodoukas told LBC that the hike would have been dangerous, as temperatures reached 35 degrees on Wednesday. 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 added.

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 Mr Mosley unless they receive more support from the Greek or British authorities.

Mr Papaladoukas said the only similar incident took place 20 years ago when someone committed suicide by jumping off a cliff on the other side of the island. This was not the area where Ms Mosley was last seen.

He added that there was "very little crime on the island", and said he is “very concerned and worried”.

Mr Papaladoukas urged anyone who may have seen anything to speak to local authorities.

A spokesperson for the Foreign Office said: “We are supporting the family of a British man who is missing in Greece and are in contact with the local authorities.”

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Dr Mosley has a prominent Daily Mail column and makes regular appearances on This Morning and The One Show. He also hosts the Just One Thing health podcast.

A local Symi Facebook group released an urgent plea for locals to look out for the doctor, adding that drones were now being deployed.

The update at 11am on Thursday said: "A search and rescue team is coming from Athens with drones and other more sophisticated equipment to extend the search. They are expected to arrive by about 1 p.m.

The post, which shared an image of the TV doctor dressed in shorts, a blue polo shirt, a baseball cap and sunglasses, asked locals if they had seen him.

"He set off to walk back from St Nick's at about 13.30 and failed to make it home. His friends are concerned as it is 6 hours since they last saw him.

"His name is Dr Mike Mosley and he is a familiar face for many British people as he has appeared on the BBC."

A later update said: "He still has not been found and the search continues."

A comment on one of the appeals said the doctor "left his phone at his accommodation".

"These days it should be pretty difficult to get lost on Symi as so many of the paths have been surfaced and there is a lot more activity even in the most remote areas," it added.

Addressing the TV doctor's disappearance, Senior Police Spokesman Constantina Dimoglidou said: "He was at the beach of Ag. Nikolas with another couple when he decided to go back to his home in the area of Pedi of Symi.

"It was around 1.30pm and he forgot his phone at the beach. Any and every attempt to track him down has not produced any result.

"We have now asked the fire brigade to assist in the operation in the case that he may have slipped, tripped, fallen, even bitten by a snake, remaining injured somewhere.

"There is just no trace of him. None whatsoever and that means that for us at least, every potential scenario is open and being investigated."

Dr Mosley is credited with raising the popularity of the 5:2 intermittent fasting diet, where people are encouraged to fast for two days per week.

Broadcaster Jeremy Vine sent a message of support to the doctor's family. He wrote: "I'm praying this lovely man is found and thinking of Claire [sic] and the whole Mosley family."