Dr Michael Mosley: Search launched for 67-year-old columnist after he vanished on Greek island Symi

A huge search operation is underway for TV diet guru and world-famous author Dr Michael Mosley, who went missing after going for a coastal walk 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.

His wife, Dr Clare Bailey, 62, raised the alarm after he failed to return by 7.30pm and local authorities began tracing the route overnight but were unable to locate him.

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.

“He was at the beach of Ag. Nikolas with another couple when he decided to go back to his home in the area of Pedi of Symi. It was around 1.30pm and he forgot his phone at the beach. Any and every attempt to track him down has not produced any result.”

“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.”

“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.”

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.