INTO THIN AIR
Michael Mosley case has chilling similarities to my dad’s disappearance – they can’t give up, says missing Brit’s son
Watch our reporter on the ground reveal all the key updates in the search operation
THE son of a Brit who went missing on a Greek island in 2019 has urged Michael Mosley's family not to give up as "humans don't just vanish".
The TV doctor vanished on Wednesday while holidaying on the island of Symi and rescue teams say it is a "race against time" as they scour the mountains.
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The mystery deepened last night as it was revealed Mosley took a 3-hour-long "treacherous" trek after leaving his wife and friends on a beach.
The father-of-four, known for popularising the 5:2 diet and for his appearances on The One Show and This Morning, was last spotted entering the mountain path.
As the search enters its fourth day with firefighters, volunteers, helicopters and drones deployed to locate the missing BBC star.
The case has drawn distinct parallels with the disappearance of John Tossell, a 78-year-old from Wales, who went missing on Zakynthos five years ago this month.
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Tossell vanished after leaving his partner, Gillian, to hike to a monastery on Mount Skopos.
His son Gary told that Mosley's case felt like a "cut and paste of my father".
The Brit father was described as a "fit man" who could have easily managed the route.
The last confirmed sighting was of him on CCTV passing a hotel and heading out of town.
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What we know so far:
- Dr Michael Mosley has been missing since Wednesday afternoon
- He was on holiday with wife Clare & two pals on the island of Symi in Greece
- The BBC presenter vanished after going to walk home from Saint Nikolas beach
- Rescuers have said 'people don't just vanish' as the mystery deepens into what happened to him
- His phone was left at his hols accommodation
- He was sighted on CCTV in the town of Pedi
- Rescuers fear Dr Mosley took a wrong turn and ended up in a difficult mountainous area in the island's north
- Police, firefighters, locals, drones, dogs, boats, divers and a helicopter have been deployed to find him
- His family vowed not to give up hope in a statement by wife Clare - with his four children flying to Symi
- The disappearance is being compared to another Brit - John Tossell - who vanished in 2019
- Dr Mosley's celebrity pals have spoken out - wishing for his safe return
Police called off the search after only five days.
In response, his distraught family continued the search themselves, bringing their own rescue team to the island to keep searching.
Haunting CCTV shows Dr Michael Mosley's last movements before vanishing in Greece as divers, drones & dogs join search
But no trace of Tossell was ever found.
Gary said: "He went for a walk and he vanished into thin air...It's the same story but a different person."
Gary added that he knows how "awful" Mosley's family must feel, saying: "I want to tell them not to give up."
He also heavily criticised the initial search for his father which was called off quickly and failed to uncover any evidence.
He told Sky: "We all think as a family that foul play must have been involved. Whether it's a mugging gone wrong or a car accident.
"Human beings don't just vanish," he added.
Symi's mayor Eleftherios Papakalodouka has told The Sun there is "no chance" the search for Mosley will be called off.
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However, he reckons it "could conclude today".
Greek police have now revealed to The Sun they are focusing their search on Agia Marina.
The marina is 3km from Pedi, where he was last seen on CCTV.
Police said officers, helicopters and drones have been deployed to the area.
The marina is only accessible by foot through a path that searchers describe as dangerous, or by water taxi.
Papakalodouka earlier admitted to The Sun they had been searching the wrong area originally.
The last sighting of Mosley, was caught on a CCTV image, which has not been released, entering a mountainous walking route.
Once up there, there are two paths to take, which the BBC star could have got lost on.
Search teams and the mayor both told The Sun the route can be incredibly “dangerous” and “treacherous” with no shade.
Mayor Papakalodouka told The Sun that Mosley had no water with him, adding: “You can’t survive in this weather.”
He continued: “He could have been walking for an hour.
“The search is covering a 7km stretch. The area is so difficult to walk. It’s so rocky.
“He wouldn’t have known where he was going. He could have got lost."
A rescuer described Mosley's decision to take the three-hour mountain path as "inexplicable".
She told The Mirror: "The path is not easy to follow. If he took a wrong turn, he would be lost. He could be anywhere.
"It is a race against time."
Another rescuer told the outlet: "It's like he went up there and the earth swallowed him up."
The mayor also added that Mosley's wife Dr Clare Bailey, 62, has also been searching with other Brits,.
Their four adult children, who are said to be “stressed”, are understood to have arrived on the island yesterday evening.
Alexander, Jack, Daniel and Katherine are said to be planning to retrace their father's last steps to try and get to the bottom of what happened.
Timeline of Dr Mosley's disappearance
WEDNESDAY JUNE 5
- 1.30pm: Dr Mosley decides to walk home alone to his holiday home in the town of Symi after going for a swim at a beach
- 1.50pm: The walk home is said to take around 20 minutes from Saint Nikolaos Beach despite the doctor never making it back
- 1.52pm: CCTV catches Dr Mosley walking past a shop in Pedi
- Approx 2.20pm: Witnesses claim to have seen Dr Mosley talking to an elderly man in the town with one other person present
- 2.30pm-5pm: Doc was last seen on a house camera on a treacherous path heading towards the Agia Marina
- 7.30pm: Dr Mosley's wife, Dr Clare Bailey, raises the alarm and calls cops
THURSDAY JUNE 6
- 10.30am: Police file missing person report and the search gets underway
- 11am: Police appeal for any information
- 2pm: Six firefighters, a vehicle and a drone team were all seen arriving in Symi from Rhodes
- 7pm: Helicopters deployed over the island
- 8pm: First day of the search called off for the night
FRIDAY JUNE 7
- 7am Extra police squadrons, coast guard officials, specially-trained sniffer dogs and military helicopters helped in the search
- 5pm The first CCTV images are released of Dr Mosley with his umbrella near the Blue Corner bar
SATURDAY JUNE 8
- 7am Police launch a search of a new area of around 7km as they step up the hunt
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WHAT HAPPENED?
The TV doctor went missing on Wednesday after leaving his wife and friends on Saint Nikolas beach.
He said he was feeling ill and would walk back alone.
CCTV images later emerged which show Dr Mosley in the town of Pedi, shielding himself from the sun with an umbrella.
The last sighting of Mosley was caught on CCTV at 2pm close to the entrance of a dangerous mountain path.
The route is a three-hour hike back to Symi Town, where he was staying with his wife Dr Clare Bailey, 62, and another couple.
Mosley had not returned to his accommodation by 3pm despite temperatures soaring to 40C.
His wife raised the alarm at 7.30pm on Wednesday. His phone remained in their accommodation.
Overnight on Wednesday, local authorities began to trace Mosley's steps but were unable to locate him.
By 12pm on Thursday, cops were scouring the coast with the help of drones, firefighters, volunteers and police dogs
Police initially said the doctor may have "fallen from a height" or lost consciousness on the short hike home from the beach.
At 7pm, a helicopter was deployed to assist in the search.
The search resumed on Friday morning where temperatures reached 48C with all of Symi's patrol boats out searching.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
Yesterday afternoon, new CCTV images of Mosley in Pedi emerged and by the evening cops shifted their search to a new mountainous route.
Today, the search resumed across a 7km radius as rescuers were on foot using drones in scorching hot heat.
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Who is Dr Michael Mosley?
BY Henry Holloway, Deputy Foreign Editor
DR MICHAEL Mosley is a TV presenter and health expert known for his work with the BBC - with regular appearances on The One Show.
He is a diet expert who advocated for intermittent fasting, low-carb diets and has written books promoting keto.
Born in India, he studied philosophy, politics and economics and worked as a banker before graduating from medical school.
He joined the BBC in 1985 as an assistant producer, and quickly rose through the ranks - becoming a popular presenter.
Dr Michael worked on programmes such The Human Face with Professor Robert Winston - and Inventions that Changed The World with Jeremy Clarkson.
Eventually fronting his own shows and regularly appearing on breakfast television, he gained a reputation as a diet guru.
He also hosted the BBC podcast Just One Thing.
The TV star is married to Clare Bailey, a GP, and they have four children.
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