Rescuers searching for Mail columnist Michael Mosley were gathering on a treacherous mountain path last night.
After a day in which divers, coast guards and fishermen scoured the sea, the search for the renowned health writer returned to land.
Greek police are now assuming that the 67-year-old diet guru took a disastrous wrong turn while walking back to his friends’ house on the small resort island of Symi.
One rescuer said the search was becoming a “race against time” as he prepared to enter a fourth day.
The mystery of what has happened to the father-of-four, known to millions through his newspaper column, television work and books, deepened yesterday when CCTV showed him wandering around a port town after of leaving his wife, Dr. Clare Bailey, and his friends on a beach.
Footage released by police appears to show Dr. Mosley resting an umbrella on his shoulder while wearing a dark shirt and cap.
They have the date and time of 13:52 and were taken at Blue Corner in Pedi, a fishing village about fifteen minutes walk from San Nicolás and about a quarter of the way traveled.
A map of the route the doctor is believed to have taken and the latest sightings of him.
Pictured is the outside of the Blue Corner Cafe, where Dr Mosley was seen walking around on CCTV footage.
A camera crew is seen filming in front of the Blue Corner Cafe in Symi.
The search for Dr. Mosley continues with more agents, dogs and drones
Dr Mosley was seen dressed in a blue shirt and shorts with a purple umbrella over his shoulder to protect himself from the sun as he passed by a cafe less than half an hour after telling Dr Bailey he would be walking back to his accommodation.
The confirmed sighting indicated that it had wandered off the coastal path, making it less likely that it had fallen into the water.
Later, following another possible sighting, officers turned their attention to a stretch of mountainous land between the port of Pedi and the holiday home he was staying in in the town of Symi.
“This is the first solid lead we have and the full weight of the search is now shifting to that area,” a police officer said.
“He probably got lost and ended up on this windy, unexplored road that links the two regions of Pedi and (the city of Symi), winding through a steep mountain.”
It comes as the British doctor’s four children flew to Greece to help solve the mystery that has baffled locals. Dr. Mosley and his wife landed on the 25-square-mile island on Tuesday and were to stay for a week with a couple who have a vacation home there.
The next day, the group took a taxi boat to San Nicolás beach. Dr Mosley took a bath before setting off in 98°F (37°C) heat along a busy coastal path towards Pedi around 1:30 p.m.
This is the photo of Dr Mosley released with an appeal after he went missing while walking on holiday in Greece on Wednesday.
Firefighters use drone to help search for TV doctor
Fire Department officers inspect an area following the search for missing British television doctor Michael Mosley.
A rocky path near Saint Nikolas beach in the Pedi district in Symi, Greece, where a search and rescue operation for Dr Mosley is underway.
Police believe Dr Mosely returned down the road to the house where he was staying in Symi Town.
Land near the path to St Nikolas Beach, where Dr Mosley began his walk
The police understood that he planned to take a bus from the small port town back home, but he never made it.
Agents have retraced his steps, going door to door and speaking with businesses and homes along the path he had taken.
They managed to recover CCTV which located Dr Mosley at Kamares Cafe in Pedi at 1.45pm.
Dr Bailey confirmed it was her husband and officers used the distinctive description to match another sighting at the nearby Blue Corner cafe at 1.52pm.
But the trail dried up and search teams tried to determine whether Dr. Mosley could have taken a bus, a boat or continued on foot.
Officials then received a possible sighting which placed Dr Mosley heading towards a treacherous path on the edge of the small Pedi marina at 2pm and sent search teams to the area yesterday afternoon.
It appeared that instead of turning off along the main road towards the town of Symi, he may have mistakenly followed the Pedi marina and exited towards the sea before attempting to cross the peninsula taking a dangerous and steep route.
“Not even a mountain goat would go up there,” a senior police source told the Mail.
One of the rescuers said any decision to follow the path was “inexplicable.”
He said it would have taken a fit young man three hours to walk to his destination. “The path is not easy to follow; if you took a wrong turn, you would get lost,” he said, adding, “You could be anywhere.” It’s a race against time.”
Dr Mosley’s wife Dr Clare Bailey (pictured together), a GP and also a Mail columnist, raised the alarm after her husband of almost 40 years failed to return from a walk.
Dr Mosley (pictured) and his wife landed on the 25-square-mile island on Tuesday and were due to stay for a week with a couple who have a home in Symi Town.
Pedi beach, where police officers have arrived to continue their search
Workers arrive to continue the search at Pedi Beach on Symi Island on June 7.
Firefighters participate in search operations for Dr. Mosley on June 6.
The search was suspended at 8:00 p.m. Greek time at dusk and will resume this morning.
Last night police were searching for more security cameras along the marina and some were seen making inquiries as far as Agia Marina, right on the sea. It is feared he may have “slipped, tripped, fallen” or even been bitten by a snake.
It came about when Dr. Mosley’s children (Alexander, Jack, Daniel and Katherine) flew off to retrace their last known steps.
Dr Mosley’s brother Arthur told The Telegraph: “We are very shocked and bewildered by what has happened to him.
‘We know everything that the police and media have reported, but we are closely monitoring the situation and hope there is a good outcome.
“Unfortunately, when you get to my age or their age, accidents like this can happen.”
Arthur, who lives in the Cornish village of Flushing, said that when he last spoke to his brother he was in a “good mood” and was looking forward to his trip to Greece. And he added: “The family naturally hopes for a good outcome.”
The residents of Symi were stunned by the disappearance.
“The place is very small,” said Antonis, who has lived in Symi all his life. ‘A small child can’t get lost here. How does a man get lost?
Firefighters, police, drones and search dogs joined the search with Mika Papakalodouka, 20, whose father, Eleftherios, is the mayor of Symi, saying teams were “out all night”.
He added that many residents had joined the search using their own boats.