Fears grow for Michael Mosley as mayor warns ‘no one can survive the heat’ & BBC star’s children join desperate search
FEARS have grown for missing TV doctor Michael Mosley as the local mayor warned no one "could survive" that long in the heat and the star's kids joined the search.
Rescue teams are now scouring a radius of up to 7km on the Greek island of Symi after their focus shifted to a "treacherous" mountain path.
Mosley, 67, known for popularising the 5:2 diet and for his appearances on The One Show and This Morning, vanished on Wednesday after setting off on a walk to the centre of the island.
Rescuers have described the search operation as a "race against time" as it enters its fourth boiling hot day.
Symi's mayor Eleftherios Papakalodouka admitted to The Sun that they had been searching the wrong 2km area originally.
And he insisted there is "no chance" the search will be called off but reckons it could conclude today.
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The last sighting of Mosley, was caught on a CCTV image, which has not been released, entering a mountainous walking route.
Once up there, there are two paths to take, which the BBC star could have got lost on.
Search teams and the mayor both told The Sun the route can be incredibly “dangerous” and “treacherous” with no shade.
He said that Mosley had no water with him, adding: “You can’t survive in this weather.”
The mayor told The Sun: “He could have been walking for an hour.
“The search is covering a 7km stretch. The area is so difficult to walk. It’s so rocky.
“He wouldn’t have known where he was going. He could have got lost.
“Yesterday they were searching the wrong spot. We will not calm the search off but it could conclude today.”
The mountains on the north coast of the island were not being searched originally.
His wife Clare has also been searching with other Brits, the mayor said.
Their four adult children, who are said to be “stressed”, are understood to have arrived on the island yesterday evening.
Alexander, Jack, Daniel and Katherine have been in touch with the authorities involved and are said to be wanting to join the search.
Dr Mosley’s brother, Arthur, yesterday said: “We are very shocked and perplexed by what has happened. His children have now all gone to Greece and are walking the path trying to find him.
"We know as much as what the police and the media has reported, and hope there’s a good outcome.
“Unfortunately, when you get to Michael’s age, accidents like this can happen.”
He said his brother had been in “good spirits” before he went on holiday.
Mayor Papakaloudoukas added this morning that "all the community is so sad about this, [it has] never happened before".
Timeline of Dr Mosley's disappearance
WEDNESDAY JUNE 5
- 1.30pm: Dr Mosley decides to walk home alone to his holiday home in the town of Symi after going for a swim at a beach
- 1.50pm: The walk home is said to take around 20 minutes from Saint Nikolaos Beach despite the doctor never making it back
- 1.52pm: CCTV catches Dr Mosley walking past a shop in Pedi
- Approx 2.20pm: Witnesses claim to have seen Dr Mosley talking to an elderly man in the town with one other person present
- 2.30pm-5pm: Doc was last seen on a house camera on a treacherous path heading towards the Agia Marina
- 7.30pm: Dr Mosley's wife, Dr Clare Bailey, raises the alarm and calls cops
THURSDAY JUNE 6
- 10.30am: Police file missing person report and the search gets underway
- 11am: Police appeal for any information
- 2pm: Six firefighters, a vehicle and a drone team were all seen arriving in Symi from Rhodes
- 7pm: Helicopters deployed over the island
- 8pm: First day of the search called off for the night
FRIDAY JUNE 7
- 7am Extra police squadrons, coast guard officials, specially-trained sniffer dogs and military helicopters helped in the search
- 5pm The first CCTV images are released of Dr Mosley with his umbrella near the Blue Corner bar
SATURDAY JUNE 8
- 7am Police launch a search of a new area of around 7km as they step up the hunt
WHAT HAPPENED?
The TV doctor went missing on Wednesday after leaving his wife and friends on Saint Nikolas beach.
He said he was feeling ill and would walk back alone.
CCTV images later emerged which show Dr Mosley in the town of Pedi, shielding himself from the sun with an umbrella.
The last sighting of Mosley was caught on CCTV at 2pm close to the entrance of a dangerous mountain path.
The route is a three-hour hike back to Symi Town, where he was staying with his wife Dr Clare Bailey, 62, and another couple.
Mosley had not returned to his accommodation by 3pm despite temperatures soaring to 40C.
His wife raised the alarm at 7.30pm on Wednesday. His phone remained in their accommodation.
Overnight on Wednesday, local authorities began to trace Mosley's steps but were unable to locate him.
By 12pm on Thursday, cops were scouring the coast with the help of drones, firefighters, volunteers and police dogs
Police initially said the doctor may have "fallen from a height" or lost consciousness on the short hike home from the beach.
At 7pm, a helicopter was deployed to assist in the search.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
The search resumed on Friday morning where temperatures reached 48C with all of Symi's patrol boats out searching.
Yesterday afternoon, new CCTV images of Mosley in Pedi emerged and by the evening cops shifted their search to a new mountainous route.
Who is Dr Michael Mosley?
BY Henry Holloway, Deputy Foreign Editor
DR MICHAEL Mosley is a TV presenter and health expert known for his work with the BBC - with regular appearances on The One Show.
He is a diet expert who advocated for intermittent fasting, low-carb diets and has written books promoting keto.
Born in India, he studied philosophy, politics and economics and worked as a banker before graduating from medical school.
He joined the BBC in 1985 as an assistant producer, and quickly rose through the ranks - becoming a popular presenter.
Dr Michael worked on programmes such The Human Face with Professor Robert Winston - and Inventions that Changed The World with Jeremy Clarkson.
Eventually fronting his own shows and regularly appearing on breakfast television, he gained a reputation as a diet guru.
He also hosted the BBC podcast Just One Thing.
The TV star is married to Clare Bailey, a GP, and they have four children.