Greek island of Symi where Dr Michael Mosley passed away

Khushboo Malhotra

Dr Michael Mosley, a renowned British medical journalist and BBC presenter, was found dead on the Greek island of Symi after an extensive four-day search.

The 67-year-old award-winning documentarian had arrived in Symi with his wife, Dr Clare Bailey Mosley, for a week-long holiday.

On the 5th of June, Dr Mosley went missing after telling his friends he would walk to his accommodation in Symi town.

His disappearance triggered an intensive search operation that captivated international attention until his body was found on 9th June.

Local authorities confirmed he died of natural causes. The 40°C heat and the absence of a mobile phone likely caused his death.

TIMELINE OF EVENTS

5 June

  • Dr Mosley set off for a walk from St. Nikolas Beach to Symi Town, about 2 miles (3.2 km). He allegedly mentioned feeling unwell before leaving.
  • Around 1:30pm, Mosley was last seen leaving St. Nikolas Beach, heading towards Pedi without his mobile phone. After several hours, his wife grew concerned about his absence and raised the alarm as temperatures soared above 40°C.
  • At 7:30pm, she alerted authorities.  An overnight search began but yielded no results.

6 June

  • Greek authorities, including police, firefighters, divers and local volunteers, resumed their search for Mosley, focusing on Agios Nikolaos beach and the path to Symi Town.
  • Around 11am, an appeal about his disappearance was posted on a local Facebook group, Friends of Symi, describing Mosley and asking locals to help find him.
  • Around 7pm, a helicopter from Athens was deployed for the search, accompanied by police, volunteers, a drone and a police dog to continue the search.

7 June

  • The search resumed with more personnel despite temperatures forecasted to reach 48°C. The mayor, Eleftherios Papakalodoukas, speculated that Dr. Mosley might have taken a different path or fallen into the sea.
  • CCTV footage showed he had walked to the other side of the bay in intense heat and across rocky terrain.

8 June

  • The search intensified with emergency services, drones and local and international volunteers, to continue searching the mountainous areas. Dr Mosley’s four children also arrived to support the search.
  • Dr Clare Bailey Mosley expressed gratitude to those involved in the search: “It has been three days since Michael left the beach to go for a walk; the longest and most unbearable days for myself and my children. […] Our family is incredibly grateful to the people of Symi, the Greek authorities and the British Consulate. […] We will not lose hope.”

9 June

  • Mosley’s body was found in a rocky area near Agia Marina beach after a four-day search. A bar manager found the body, PA news agency reported, after the island’s mayor “saw something” by the fence of the bar and alerted staff.
  • A British journalist, Mayor Papakalodoukas, and ERT TV, who were patrolling the coastline, identified him by his blue shirt from the last CCTV images, located 100 yards from a restaurant and 150 yards from a previously searched area.
  • Dr Mosley was found next to a fence around a 30-minute walk from the village of Pedi where he was last seen holding a purple umbrella and walking in the scorching heat.

INVESTIGATION AND AUTOPSY

Greek police spokeswoman Konstantia Dimoglidou confirmed to the BBC that the initial post-mortem examination found no injuries on Dr Mosley’s body. It is estimated that he passed away at around 16:00 (14:00 BST) on Wednesday, the day he went missing.

The lack of injuries and the position of his body suggested he died of natural causes.

Mayor Papakaloudoukas said: “He wasn’t found face down, he was found face up which suggests he may have felt dizzy or simply unwell and laid down. I think that says a lot.”

“In 2017, Mosley was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Science by the University of Edinburgh”

A Rhodes coroner ruled out foul play, stating no injuries indicated a crime. Toxicology and histology tests were ordered to determine the exact cause of death, with results expected in several months.

In a statement, Clare Mosley said: “We’re taking comfort in the fact that he so very nearly made it.”

“He did an incredible climb, took the wrong route and collapsed where he couldn’t be easily seen by the extensive search team,” she added.

A LEGACY OF HEALTH AND SCIENCE

Dr Mosley, a prominent figure in medical journalism and broadcasting, appeared in numerous BBC programmes. These include Trust Me, I’m a Doctor, Medical Mavericks, Blood and Guts: A History of Surgery, and Eat, Fast and Live Longer.

He also hosted the popular BBC podcast Just One Thing and wrote a column for the Daily Mail.

Mosley studied medicine in London and qualified as a doctor before transitioning to a career as a presenter, documentary maker and journalist. In 1995, following his documentary on Helicobacter pylori – a bacterium that causes ulcers in the stomach – the British Medical Association named him Medical Journalist of the Year.

“I just became a real fan of his work. […] He helped me and millions of others.”

In 2002, Mosley received an Emmy nomination for The Human Face – a BBC series examining the science behind facial beauty and expression.

He was a prolific author, best known for his diet books advocating intermittent fasting, including The Fast Diet, which introduced the 5:2 diet.

In 2017, the University of Edinburgh awarded Mosley an Honorary Doctor of Science.

TRIBUTES

Tributes have poured in for Dr Mosley.

Downing Street lauded him as an “extraordinary broadcaster” with a “huge impact” on people’s lives.

Former Labour Deputy Leader Lord Tom Watson credited Mosley with inspiring him to change his lifestyle and reverse his type 2 diabetes through diet and exercise. Watson praised Mosley’s ability to simplify complex science, saying, “I just became a real fan of his work. […] He helped me and millions of others.”

Charlotte Moore, the BBC’s chief content officer, said: “He was a brilliant science broadcaster and programme maker, able to make the most complex subjects simple, but he was also passionate about engaging and entertaining audiences, inspiring us all to live a healthier, fuller life.”

“We miss him so much.”

Taking to Instagram on Saturday, Dr Bailey thanked the public for the “wonderfully supportive messages.”

Sharing her plans for the future, the GP and health writer added: “I very much want to continue with the work that gave Michael and myself so much joy and such a sense of purpose.”

“Once more thank you so much for respecting my family’s privacy so kindly. Michael was an amazing man. Thank you for seeing that too. We miss him so much.”

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Featured image courtesy of charley1965 on Flickr. Image license found here. No changes were made to this image.

Khushboo is a Twitter Editor at Empoword Journalism. She is an Award-nominated lifestyle and pop culture journalist, writer, and budding entrepreneur aiming to break down the boundaries of cultural stigma and shame attached to mental health and sexual health and bring marginalised topics to light. Send your stories, tips, and press announcements to khushboomalhotrafreelance@gmail.com

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