Fans and TV colleagues pray missing Dr Michael Mosley is found safe after he vanishes on holiday island: Greek police use drones in bid to find Mail columnist amid fears he may have 'fallen from height' on hike
TV colleagues and fans of Mail columnist and diet guru Dr Michael Mosley are today praying he will be found safe and well after he went missing on a Greek holiday island.
Police fear Dr Mosley, 67, may have 'fallen from a height' after he set off hiking along St Nicholas Beach on Symi at 1.30pm on Wednesday.
Martin Lewis, founder of moneysavingexpert.com and an ITV colleague of Michael's, tweeted this afternoon that he was 'disturbed' to hear the father-of-four is missing. 'I hope he's ok', he said.
Radio 2 presenter and Channel 5 talk show host Jeremy Vine wrote in a social media post: 'I'm praying this lovely man is found and thinking of Clare and the whole Mosley family.'
Trust Me I'm A Doctor star Saleyha Ahsan wrote on social media that the news was 'shocking' and that she was hoping Mosley would be 'found safe'.
'I literally feel sick with worry,' Ahsan added. 'Don't even know what to say.'
Fans flooded a community Facebook group for Symi with posts wishing him well and with prayers that he will be 'found soon'.
This is the picture of Dr Mosley posted with an appeal after he went missing while walking on holiday in Greece on Wednesday. He has not yet been found
A helicopter taking part in search operations for British broadcaster Dr Michael Mosley
Police fear Dr Mosley, 67, may have 'fallen from a height' after he set off hiking along St Nicholas Beach in the north of Symi at 1.30pm on Wednesday
Dr Mosley's wife, Dr Clare Bailey (pictured together), a GP and also a columnist for the Mail, raised the alarm after her husband of nearly 40 years failed to return from a hike. A massive search is underway
Dr Mosley's wife, Dr Clare Bailey, 62, a GP and also a columnist for the Mail, raised the alarm after her husband of nearly 40 years failed to return by 7.30pm. Local authorities began tracing the route overnight but were unable to locate him.
Athens has scrambled a search and rescue team for the Mail columnist, with drones and sophisticated equipment to extend the operation this morning. The Hellenic coast guard is checking the waters close to his last known location in the north-east of Symi.
Senior Police Spokesman Constantina Dimoglidou said Dr Mosley has not yet been found, but revealed that the search has been expanded.
'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', he said.
'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.'
By midday on Thursday every emergency service in Greece had been seconded by local authorities to find the Briton, with the Hellenic coast guard scouring the seas, the fire brigade searching the remote island's forests and hills, a drone flying overhead and volunteers also weighing in.
'We have also applied to the civil protection ministry in Athens for a helicopter and special dogs to be brought in,' the Daily Mail was told by a senior police source with intimate knowledge of the search and rescue operation.
Firefighters stand as they take part in search operations for British broadcaster Dr Mosley
Dr Mosley was on holiday with his wife in Symi (pictured) after they completed a nationwide tour together called: Eat (well), Sleep (better), Live (longer)
'We are focusing on the area of the path we believe Michael would have taken from the beach in Ayios Nikolaos to Pedi but as so much time has elapsed since he went missing we have also expanded our search to other parts of the island.
'Right now there are four police, eight firemen, a drone and seven volunteers involved in the operation.'
Greek police officials acknowledged that the disappearance of such a high-profile figure posed a huge challenge at the start of the tourist season.
'He may have slipped and fallen, perhaps because of a heart attack along the way,' the police source said. 'Nothing at this stage can be ruled out.'
Meanwhile a community Facebook group on Symi appealed for information and uploaded a picture of Dr Mosley in shorts, a blue polo shirt, baseball cap and sunglasses.
They wrote: 'Have you seen this man? 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.
'The police and coast guard have been informed EMAK, the island's rescue team, is also involved.'
The Mail understands the police are leading the investigation, which indicates they believe he has gone missing on the land, but the coast guard is assisting. Police in Athens headquarters said they too were aware and 'actively pursuing the case.'
Senior Police Spokesman Constantina Dimoglidou said ongoing searches that began early this morning have yet to yield any find.
Dr Mosley is well known for his health advice, particularly on fasting, diet and sleep, and is one of the most trusted and authoritative medical voices in the British media and around the world
Temperatures on the island, which lies off the coast of Rhodes, reached the mid-30s Celsius (90s Fahrenheit) yesterday and it remained hot overnight.
Dr Mosley was on holiday with his wife after they completed a nationwide tour together called: 'Eat well, sleep better, live longer'.
He is well known for his diet advice including his intermittent fasting plans, The Fast 800 and the 5:2 Diet, as well as advocating low-carbohydrate and ketogenic diets.
He also published a book on using diet to improve sleep, called Fast Asleep, after revealing he suffered from chronic insomnia.
Dr Mosley regularly appears on his podcast Just One Thing and has become one of the most recognised TV doctors in Britain.
He studied PPE at Oxford and at first tried his hand working as an investment banker.
It was then he retrained as a doctor and qualified after studying medicine at the Royal Free Hospital in London.
Dr Mosley joined the BBC as a trainee assistant producer and after producing shows for the broadcaster became a presenter on screen.
His wife, Dr Bailey, is a GP and also a columnist for the Mail.
