Tragic details of Dr Michael Mosley’s trek across the mountains in the merciless sun have been revealed – as questions grow over how rescuers missed him during a five-day search. The much-loved health guru carried a small bottle of water with him as he managed to climb a steep slope in searing 37C heat from Pedi to the top of the hill overlooking the Agia Marina on the Greek island of Symi.
Final Moments Captured on CCTV
The doctor was then captured in recently discovered CCTV by a beach restaurant stumbling around for a few 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 face up just a mere 260ft from a holiday resort.
Questions Over Rescue Efforts
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. Dr Mosley was found at around 10.30am yesterday by a restaurant manager at Agia Marina.
Discovery by Restaurant Manager
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.”
Heartbreaking Miss by Search Teams
Another staff member said: “How we missed him is a mystery. He was in distress suffering from exhaustion but nobody saw him. This is heartbreaking.” Restaurant CCTV footage shows a customer who could have potentially heard a cry for help walking close to where Dr Mosley lay.
Wife’s Emotional Tribute
Dr Mosley is believed to have died just over two hours after leaving his wife from the beach at St Nicholas on the Greek island of Symi last Wednesday at 1.30pm. 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.”
Missing for Days
Dr Mosley’s 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.
Track of the Final Journey
They had only arrived the day before on what was Dr Mosley’s second trip to the tranquil Dodecanese island, having first visited eight years ago. 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.
Surveillance Footage
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.
Discovery and Recovery
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.
Questions Remain
What investigators will now try and piece together now is how and why Dr Mosley ended up where he was and why his body had not been seen during searches. The doctor was with friends at Agios Nikolaos beach on Wednesday before going alone for a walk to the centre of the island. It is thought that he had managed to climb the slope from Pedi to the top of the hill overlooking Agia Marina – but what is not clear is why he then decided to skirt the edge of the restaurant.