07 June 2024 , 20:45
599
0
The search for Michael Mosley was described as a “race against time” by a Greek local, after it switched to a treacherous mountainous path.
CCTV footage from a house at the edge of Pedi’s small marina at the far end of the village showed the presenter entering the path at about 2pm on Wednesday. One of the rescuers said his decision was “inexplicable”. She said it would have taken a fit young person three hours to walk to the port.
She said: “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.” The little-used path goes inland rather than following the coast. The search was called off at 8pm Greek time on Friday night as dusk fell, and will resume on Saturday morning.
After searching the coastal path, rescuers are now focusing on a different mountain trail which would take "three hours for a young person" to walk (Press Association Images)Other residents of the Greek island of Symi are out in force searching for the missing TV star, according to the daughter of the island's mayor. Police and firefighters have been using drones to try to locate Dr Mosley, while divers were also searching for the 67-year-old who vanished after setting off on a walk to the centre of the island on Wednesday.
The mayor's daughter Mika Papakalodouka told the PA news agency that "a lot of" island residents joined the search using their own boats to find British national Mr Mosley, who disappeared in high temperatures. Ms Papakalodouka grew up on the island but now spends the majority of the year in Athens while studying maritime business remotely at Solent University, Southampton.
Man arrested for murder after woman found dead on New Year's Eve
Firemen and police officers involved in the search (Paddy Hill / Daily Mirror)"It is a small island, people talk. We're good people actually here. Everybody is looking for him," the 20-year-old told PA. It's such a small island to get lost on. It's so weird for us. Everybody is worried and looking for him." Ms Papakalodouka said she has been translating for her father, Eleftherios Papakalodouka, who has been mayor of Symi for 22 years, confirming that the island has around 300 permanent residents.
The local police department restarted scouring the island on Friday morning after pausing the search-and-rescue operation for Mr Mosley on Thursday night. Symi deputy mayor Ilias Chaskas confirmed to PA that "divers are looking in the water", and the local coast guard had joined the rescue efforts.
The small village of Pedi (AP)Symi's coast guard said: "All our patrol boats are searching ... about five and also all the private boats, commercial boats know about the incident and they look for (him) also, in this area, (so this is) the private, the commercial and the patrol (boats looking)." A spokesperson for the Ministry of Maritime Affairs & Insular Policy told PA: "We inform you that the Port Authority of Symi is assisting the investigations of the Hellenic Police, using patrols from the sea and operational vessels patrolling the area."
A spokesperson for the Greek fire service said: "The search continues today with seven firefighters, one drone checking the wider area, and we (are) co-operating with the Hellenic Police Office."