Search continues for Dr. Michael Mosley
Divers, drones, dogs are deployed around Symi amid soaring temperatures and growing fears for missing TV doctor and presenter.
- Published by David Knox
- on
Divers have begun searching the water around the Greek island of Symi as police have continue their search and rescue operation for TV doctor Michael Mosley.
A yellow weather warning is in place for the region, with temperatures expected to reach highs of 36 degrees on Friday, with growing concerns for the medic’s welfare.
Mosley’s wife, Dr Clare Bailey, raised the alarm after he failed to return back to their accommodation after embarking on a coastal walk on the Dodecanese island of Symi on Wednesday afternoon.
A police source said there is “just no trace” of the 67-year-old after he left a beach to hike along a coastal path at around 1:30pm.
“Any and every attempt to track him down has not produced any result,” they said, adding that they had expanded the search.
Mayor of Symi Eleftherios Papakalodoukas said firefighters had told him they believed it was “impossible” Mosley was still there.
He told the BBC: “It is a very small, controlled area, full of people. So, if something happened to him there, we would have found him by now.”Meanwhile some press are reporting Greek Police are pursuing seven possible theories:
– fell from a height
– fell into the sea
– heatstroke
– heart failure
– snake bite
– became lost
– stranded somewhere injured.
Update:
New CCTV images appear to show missing TV presenter Michael Mosley less than half an hour after he left a beach to go on a walk.
The footage suggests he completed a walk to the nearby village of Pedi after leaving Agios Nikolaos beach while on a holiday on the Greek island Symi.
The presenter was reported to have left the beach on Wednesday at 13:30 local time.
The CCTV footage appears to capture the broadcaster in the village’s main street holding an umbrella roughly 20 minutes later.
A search and rescue operation, involving divers, helicopters and drones, is continuing on Friday.
Officials are now understood to be excluding the possibility Dr Mosley came to harm while walking between the beach and Pedi.
Timeline of Mosley’s disappearance
Wednesday, 1.30pm: Dr Mosley was last seen leaving Saint Nikolas beach at 1.30pm on Wednesday, when he is believed to have been heading off on the coastal path back to nearby Pedi.
Wednesday, 1.50pm: Dr Mosley seen on CCTV walking through Pedi
Wednesday 2pm: Dr Mosley seen on CCTV walking up mountain path leading to 3-hour hike back to Symi Town
Wednesday, 3.00pm: Mr Mosley had still not returned to the accommodation where he was staying with his wife even as temperatures on Symi reached more than 40C.
Wednesday, 7.30pm: Dr Mosley’s wife Dr Clair Bailey raises the alarm after he failed to return to their hotel. His phone was still in the place where the couple were staying.
Overnight Wednesday: Local authorities began tracing Mosley’s route but were unable to find him.
Thursday, 11am: An appeal about his disappearance was posted on a local Facebook group – Friends of Symi — describing Mosley and asking locals to look for him.
Thursday, around 12.00pm: By midday on Thursday Greek authorities were scouring the coast with police extending the search area from the immediate vicinity of his disappearance.
Thursday, 7.00pm: A helicopter from Athens was deployed to assist in the search for 67-year-old Mosley. The search operation now included firefighters, volunteers, police officers, a drone, and a police dog.
Friday morning: The search resumes with divers deployed. Temperatures on Symi are forecast to reach as high as 48C, making search conditions even more challenging.
Friday afternoon: CCTV images of Mosley in Pedi emerge.
Friday evening: Search shifts to new mountain path after CCTV shows him entering it. Search paused to resume in the morning.
Source: Independent, Manchester Evening News
2 Responses
Thank you for the informative update David Knox.
I understand that the natural instinct is to hope he’s found, though it’s possible he might not want to be found and that it could be one of those intentional disappearances. There’s a documentary from this year titled Johatsu, written and directed by Andreas Hartmann and Arata Mori about the phenomenon in Japan where many intentionally go missing to start a new life.
In any case, I hope the outcome isn’t grim.