Desperate five-day seek for Dr Michael Mosley that resulted in tragedy
Hopes that missing Mail columnist Dr Michael Mosley would be discovered alive after going missing were tragically dashed with the discovery of his body after a desperate five-day search.
It is now thought that Dr Mosley died less then two hours after leaving his wife from the beach at St Nicholas on the Greek island of Symi last Wednesday at 1.30pm.
His wife Dr Clare Bailey had waved him off after they had spent the morning at the idyllic beach with friends after arriving just the day before for a week’s holiday.
Setting off with a single small bottle of water but crucially no phone, father-of-four Dr Mosley said he was heading back to the three-bedroom Merchant House apartment in Symi where they were staying with friends.
They had only arrived the day before on what was Dr Mosely’s second trip to the tranquil Dodecanese island, having first visited eight years ago.
Dr Michael, whose death aged 67 has been confirmed, was last seen last Wednesday
His body was discovered here this morning on the Greek island of Symi after a five-day search
Local residents raised the alert after Symi’s mayor spotted something he called ‘unusual’
The walk from St Nicholas to Pedi is about one and a half miles and took Dr Mosley no more than 15 minutes, with him spotted by CCTV at several points as he walked down the waterfront.
Police were able to track him thanks to a distinctive umbrella he was carrying, after being informed by a worker at the St Nicholas beach bar.
He was spotted on CCTV at 1.42pm that day walking past the Kamares coffee bar, then five minutes later he was seen by cameras at the Katsaras restaurant.
Then at 1.52pm he was pictured walking past the Blue Corner Cafe, before the final CCTV image at 2pm showed him walking past the house of a supermarket owner.
Two security staff looking out on to a high-speed inflatable boat caught him as he walked past and made his way to the start of the trail to Agia Marina.
With temperatures nudging 40C and with an excessive heat warning in place from the Greek meteorological service, Dr Mosley set out for Symi but made the mistake of trying to take a difficult mountain route.
Once in Pedi there was an easy option of getting back to Symi, following the main road – while not as scenic, it offers shelter and places to stop for rest and water.
Instead Dr Mosley decided to press on and take the inland route which climbs up from Pedi to a height of about 60m before dropping down towards a man-made beach at Agia Marina.
Greek police have confirmed that the body found today is that of Dr Michael Mosley (pictured)
He is thought to have set out for Symi but made the mistake of taking a difficult mountain route
This map shows the different paths across the Greek island which were available
It was here that sadly Dr Mosley’s body was found just after 10am on Sunday, after mayor Lefterios Papakalodoukas spotted something ‘unusual’ from the sea while sailing away following media interviews.
Mr Papakalodoukas had talking to reporters on the beach as he stood just yards from where Dr Mosley’s body would be found minutes later.
After ending the interviews, he had got back into a boat and was heading back to Pedi when he turned round and something ‘unusual’ caught his eye.
Greek TV crews zoomed in, telling him it looked like a body, and he immediately alerted a nearby restaurant whose waiter Ilias Tsavaris was sent to investigate.
He rushed over and was struck by the sun glinting off Dr Mosely’s watch – and as he got closer he realised with horror it was the missing health guru.
Journalists were just behind him and captured the look of horror on the waiter’s face as he ushered them away and then called police who arrived twenty minutes later.
The body was close to the perimeter fence of the beach restaurant and not more than 30m away from where holiday-makers had been enjoying the sunshine.
In another twist, a police officer at the scene suffered a suspected broken leg as he jumped from a wall close to the body and had to be carried away on a stretcher.
Customers continued ordering lunch while others swam or played beach volleyball as forensic teams and emergency services set about their grim task.
Claire Bailey (right) has paid tribute to her ‘brilliant’ husband Dr Michael Mosley (left) – they are seen together here appearing on ITV’s This Morning in June 2019
Police officers and search teams have been out in force for five days looking for Dr Mosley
Tributes have been paid after the death was confirmed of Michael Mosley, pictured here appearing on ITV daytime show Loose Women on February 2 this year
Dr Mosley was staying on the Greek island of Symi, his second visit there
Pictures were taken of the body and the scene by officials wearing gloves and face masks, while it appeared that his rucksack had been found away from his body.
A female investigator could be seen clearly picking up the khaki rucksack and holding it up about 20ft up the slope away from the body.
What investigators will now try and piece together now is how and why Dr Mosley ended up where he was and why he his body had not been seen during searches.
It is thought that he had managed to climb the slope from Pedi to the top of hill overlooking Agia Marina – but what is not clear is why he then decided to skirt the edge of the restaurant.
A more obvious route would be a signed path down to the restaurant, which looks on to a small island, before continuing the hike to Simi port.
Guide books describe the walk as going through a ‘desert mountain landscape’ with much of the path being ‘stony to very stony underfoot’.
One describes ‘false trails which can mislead’ while being ‘stony and uncomfortable’, adding that there is ‘little vegetation’ along the route with only sheep and goats for company.
The question for investigators is to try and understand why he was found where he was. Did he slip and fall as he tried to reach the water? Did he have some form of attack? Why did a helicopter that flew over several times on Saturday not spot him?
Local cameraman Antonios broke down in tears when talking about the body’s discovery
Agia Marina bar manager Ilias Tsavaris was also among those who raised the alert this morning
Dr Mosley is thought to have taken a walk along treacherous mountain terrain on the island
A drone view shows rescue teams arriving to transfer the body after this morning’s find
Dr Mosley’s TV series include one called Inside The Human Body, on a dying man’s ‘final breath’
Dr Michael Mosley and his wife Claire Bailey were married for 40 years
A Hellenic Coast Guard vessel transporting the body is seen docked at the island of Symi
Claire Bailey said of her husband Dr Michael Mosley (pictured): ‘He did an incredible climb, took the wrong route and collapsed where he couldn’t be easily seen’
What is clear though, is that tragically it looks like Dr Mosley tragically passed away within two hours of setting off.
One waiter at Agia Marina told MailOnline: ‘I just can’t believe it. He was so close to us for all these days.
‘They searched the area on foot and the helicopter flew over on Saturday – how was he missed?’
But for now those questions will be far from the heartbroken family’s mind as they come together and grieve for a devoted father and husband.
