The hunt for missing television doctor and nutritional guru Michael Mosley stretches into its third day, as local authorities on the island where he disappeared raise concerns that locating him may prove "impossible".

Enlisting the support of firefighters, law enforcement, search teams, helicopters and night vision drones, the small Greek island of Symi has rallied in the quest to find the beloved - well-into his sixth decade - television and radio presenter. Mosley is a well-known face and voice in the UK, famous for advocating the 5:2 fasting diet, and for dispensing health advice on Radio 4's 'Just One Thing'.

However, despairing remarks from the mayor indicate that finding the popular TV medic could essentially become "impossible". Despite utilising various emergency services, a helicopter and a drone since Thursday (5 June), there remains no trace of him.

Recent sightings point towards Symi's Pedi area, a charming seaside spot that often draws tourists, forming the main focus of the ongoing search, reports the Mirror.

Symi's Mayor Eleftherios Papakalodoukas has voiced concerns regarding the likelihood of finding Dr Mosley within the confines of the densely populated Pedi area. Speaking to the BBC he mulled over the situation, stating: "It is a very small, controlled area, full of people. So, if something happened to him there, we would have found him by now."

The northeastern Pedi area, home to a humble fishing village nestled between two rocky valleys along the coast, boasts well-connected road links to many larger towns and settlements across the rest of Symi.

A local employee at Kamares coffee shop on Pedi Beach, a hotspot for visitors, recounted the extensive search efforts, saying: "They came, the police, with the coast police and firemen, and the rescue team, to carry out the investigation, but I don't think that anything has been found yet."

Meanwhile, another local expressed her bewilderment over Mosley's mysterious disappearance, noting: "It's a quiet place ... if you see the map of the area it's a clear path, it's nothing dangerous, many people go every day, every few minutes, that's the reason it's very strange because it's a clear path."

Dr Mosley's spouse has reported him missing since he failed to return from a coastal walk on Wednesday in the vicinity of St Nikolas beach, located south-east of Pedi. He was last seen after 1.30pm, having left his wife at St Nikolas Beach to venture into the island's heartland.

The trek from Pedi Beach to St Nikolas Beach is typically a brief 20-minute journey, traversing mild terrain, which only adds to the baffling nature of Dr Mosley's vanishing act. A source familiar with the locale told PA: "I'm having trouble understanding how you could get lost."

Mosley, father to four children with his wife Dr Clare Bailey Mosley, a fellow author and health columnist, has sparked concern following his unexplained absence. The Foreign Office has acknowledged their involvement, confirming they are assisting the family of the man gone missing in Greece and working alongside local enforcement.