Search continues for British broadcaster missing on Greek island

By Lefteris Papadimas

ATHENS (Reuters) – The search continued on Friday for missing British broadcaster and healthy lifestyle advocate Michael Mosley, who went missing on the Greek island of Symi after embarking alone on a coastal walk in scorching heat.

The famous doctor, known for his support of fasting diets, was last seen at 1:30 p.m. (10:30 GMT) on Wednesday as he took a short walk along a rocky path between Agios Nikolaos beach and the village of Pedi, police officials said. said.

Police, firefighters, coastguards and volunteers searched for Mosley on land and sea, using a helicopter, drones and a rescue dog, as temperatures reached 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit).

Mosley did not have his cell phone with him, making his search more difficult.

“So far we have no evidence of what may have happened, whether it was an accident… or something else,” a senior official said. the police who requested anonymity.

Police were investigating reports he spoke to locals in the middle of his walk.

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

“It’s very strange,” Papakalodoukas told reporters. “You can’t disappear, you can’t get lost.”

Symi is a sparsely populated rocky island in the eastern Aegean Sea. It is approximately 10 miles long and has a population of approximately 2,500.

Mosley, 67, is well known in Britain for his programmes, including the BBC series Trust Me, I'm a Doctor. He has also appeared on BBC's The One Show and ITV's This Morning.

He popularized the 5:2 diet, which advocates intermittent fasting.

Dozens of colleagues and friends expressed concern on social media about Mosley, his wife and his family.

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

(Editing by Edward McAllister and Kevin Liffey)