Police say Dr Mosley died of 'heat exhaustion' after sitting down
Police say Dr Michael Mosley died of 'heat exhaustion' after 'sitting down and losing consciousness' just yards from a holiday resort after walking across the Greek island of Symi in searing 40C heat. A five-day search for the much-loved health guru and Mail columnist ended in tragedy yesterday morning when his body was found face up in a rocky area at the resort of Agia Marina. The 67-year-old was found dead by a fence just 260 feet from a beach bar and safety.
The initial post-mortem examination carried out by Rhodes coroner Despina Nethena showed that there was no third party involvement and no 'criminal' element involved - but a definite cause of death has yet to be established. It is thought Dr Mosley may have sat down to gather himself after being overcome with exhaustion and by effects of the heat having taken a wrong turn down a mountain path. Dimos Kotsidaras, police commander for Symi, said: 'It looks like cause of death was heat exhaustion after walking in high temperatures from St Nicholas to Agia Marina.'
Police and the coroner are also investigating footage from the restaurant seen by MailOnline which shows Dr Mosley wandering in a confused state for twenty minutes before collapsing last Wednesday. Temperatures at the time had been nudging 40C and the excessive heat is thought to have played a role in his death. In the video he appears to pause momentarily by the perimeter wall, resting one hand on it and then he loses his balance and disappears from sight.
Symi Crisis Rescue Volunteer Team posted a message of condolence to on Dr Michael Mosley's wife, children, relatives and friends for their 'tragic loss'. It said:'Our team was called in by island authorities to assist in the search investigation on the very first night of his disappearance and we immediately began with a first night search. 'We continued all the coming days to participate in the investigations together with firefighters, police officers and other volunteers, as always directed by the head of the investigation. 'High temperatures and rough spots made this mission particularly difficult, and unfortunately, the outcome was one we all know.'
MailOnline retraced the route and it should only have taken five minutes but Dr Mosley appeared to be wandering for twenty minutes before disappearing from view. According to the coroner, Dr Mosley died at around 4pm on the day he disappeared. Restaurant staff on the island of Symi have revealed their heartbreak and admitted how they missed the body of Dr Michael Mosley is a 'mystery' as tragic details of his final trek emerged.
Dr Mosley's trek across the mountains in the merciless sun were revealed last night - as questions grow over how rescuers failed to find him during their five-day search. Dr Mosley was found at around 10.30am yesterday by a restaurant manager at Agia Marina. A staff member said: 'How we missed him is a mystery. He was in distress suffering from exhaustion but nobody saw him. This is heartbreaking.'
The doctor was captured on CCTV footage by a beach restaurant stumbling around for several minutes before the 67-year-old gingerly picked his way down a slope close to a perimeter fence before then falling out of view. It is then thought he carried on around the fence before he fell to where his body was found. It comes as questions were raised over how the TV doctor's body lay undiscovered for so long.
On the previous day a search-and-rescue helicopter had circled above the scene. Ilias Tsavaris, 38, said he was alerted by the restaurant's owners who had received a call from Symi's mayor. 'The mayor had seen something unusual from a water taxi and I was told to go up there and check it out. As I approached, I saw something glinting in the sun – his watch. As I got close I knew it was him. Horrifying.' Restaurant CCTV footage shows a customer who could have potentially heard a cry for help walking close to where Dr Mosley lay.
Sources said Dr Mosley's wife was not expected to visit the scene but will likely return to the UK from Rhodes, an hour by boat from Symi. Police sources ruled out foul play but said it was not possible at this stage to determine how he died. A spokesman for the coroner said: 'It looks like it was a fall but we need to establish whether he had a medical episode before that and it will take time.'
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.
Want more stories like this from the Daily Mail? Hit the follow button above for more of the news you need.
