Michael Mosley missing on Greek island of Symi, sparking major search operation

The small island lies in the eastern Aegean Sea and is approximately six kilometers from the Turkish coast.

Mosley, 67, is well known for co-writing the 2013 book “The Fast Diet.” The plan, later known as the 5:2 diet, involved drastically cutting calories two days a week while eating healthily on the other days.

He then wrote another book on weight loss, “The Fast 800.”

A plea for information on Mosley, along with a photo of him wearing a blue polo shirt and baseball cap, was posted to a local Facebook group Wednesday evening, saying he had left to walk back from a local beach to 1:30 p.m. pm and “I didn’t make it home.”

Further updates to the post the next day indicated that a search and rescue team had been sent from Athens “with drones and other more sophisticated equipment to expand the search.”

A police spokesperson said Mosley's phone was found in his home, according to the BBC.

Mosley's disappearance also made headlines in Greek newspapers on Friday, with one newspaper noting that the island had faced intense heat on Wednesday. The BBC reported that temperatures in Symi exceeded 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) that day.

According to his personal website, Mosley studied at Oxford University and worked as an investment banker before turning to medicine. He then joined the BBC as a trainee and later worked on science and history documentaries.

In 2002, he was nominated for an Emmy Award for his work as executive producer of the documentary series “The Human Face,” hosted by Monty Python star John Cleese.

In recent years he continues to appear regularly on British television.

He and his wife, Clare Bailey Mosley, a doctor who created recipes for his Fast 800 plan, have four children.