TV doctor, 67, goes missing while on walk in Greece sparking huge search

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By James Kay

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A search is currently ongoing for a missing British TV doctor who vanished while on a walk on a Greek island.

Dr. Michael Mosley, renowned for his appearances on television, went missing on the Greek island of Symi, per Sky News.

An appeal was posted in a local Facebook group following the disappearance of the 67-year-old on Wednesday. Symi is a small island situated opposite Rhodes.

Dr. Mosley is widely recognized for his roles on shows like This Morning and The One Show, and for hosting the BBC's Just One Thing health podcast.

GettyImages-1174938604.jpgDr. Mosley has gone missing in Greece. Credit: Brook Mitchell/Getty

He is also known for popularizing the 5:2 diet, which involves fasting for two days each week.

Dr. Mosley is also a columnist for the Daily Mail.

Recently, he presented two series for Channel 4: Secrets Of Your Big Shop and Who Made Britain Fat? His work has earned him an RTS and an Emmy award nomination, and he has been named "Medical Journalist of the Year" by the British Medical Association.

Local authorities have launched a comprehensive search operation.

"The search is being carried out by the fire brigade with assistance from the Hellenic Police, Civil Protection, volunteers, and a police dog. Technical means such as drones are also being used to locate the missing person," stated local police.

GettyImages-2156454154.jpgDr. Mosley has gone missing on the Greek island of Symi. Credit: Hugh R Hastings/Getty

Six firefighters, along with a vehicle and a drone team, were dispatched from Rhodes and arrived in Symi around 2:00PM.

Dr. Mosley's agent confirmed his disappearance to the Press Association.

A Facebook post, which included a picture of Dr. Mosley, read: "A search and rescue team is coming from Athens with drones and other sophisticated equipment to extend the search. They are expected to arrive by about 1 PM."

The post further asked: "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."

Reports indicate that his wife raised the alarm.

In a statement, 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."

GettyImages-1174937997.jpgSearch operations are ongoing. Credit: Brook Mitchell/Getty

A user on a local forum in Symi, cited by Sky News, noted that Dr. Mosley "left his phone at his accommodation" and added: "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."

The mayor of Symi, Eleftherios Papakalodouka, told the BBC: "It is very strange. You can't disappear, you can't get lost."

He went on: "It is a very small, controlled area, full of people. So if something happened to him there, we would have found him by now."

He voiced his concerns that Dr. Mosley could have fallen "from a great height" into the sea.

Featured image credit: Brook Mitchell/Getty