The wife of British TV presenter Michael Mosley has confirmed the "devastating" news of his death on the Greek island of Symi. Dr. Clare Bailey, Mosley's wife, shared that she and their four children found solace in the fact that Mosley "had almost made it," as his body was discovered near a coastal resort on Sunday.
Bailey explained, "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."
The 67-year-old Mosley had gone missing on Wednesday after setting out for a walk on the island, prompting an intensive five-day search. Bailey expressed her grief, saying, "It’s devastating to have lost Michael, my wonderful, funny, kind, and brilliant husband. We had an incredibly lucky life together. We loved each other very much and were so happy together."
She added that their family has been deeply comforted by the outpouring of love from people worldwide, reflecting Mosley's impact on many lives. "Michael was an adventurous man, which was part of what made him so special," Bailey noted.
Bailey also praised the efforts of the people on Symi, who worked tirelessly to locate Mosley. "Some island residents, who hadn’t even heard of Michael, worked from dawn till dusk unasked. We’re also very grateful to the press for their respectful handling of the situation."
On the fifth day of the search, Mosley was reportedly found by a camera operator from the state broadcaster ERT. His body was located on rocky terrain near a small resort accessible only by boat or on foot. The area is about a 30-minute walk from Pedi, where he was last seen.
Symi had been experiencing extreme weather, with temperatures soaring above 40°C (104°F) in the afternoons. Peel Regional Police spokesperson Konstantina Dimoglou confirmed the identity of the body from Mosley's watch and clothes, noting that he had likely been dead "for a number of days."
The discovery was made when a camera crew, while reviewing footage taken from a boat in the bay of Ayia Marina, noticed "something strange" near a fence. Upon zooming in, they identified Mosley by his glinting watch.
The island's mayor mentioned that 200 people had searched the site previously without success. The area was immediately secured by the Hellenic coastguard, and a postmortem is scheduled to be conducted at Rhodes' general hospital. Preliminary assessments ruled out foul play, suggesting that a head wound Mosley likely sustained in a fall was the cause of death.
The extensive search had focused on a clifftop path from St Nikolas beach towards Pedi. Mosley had set off from St Nikolas beach at 1:30 pm local time on Wednesday, heading towards Symi's port town, where he was staying with friends. CCTV footage captured him 20 minutes later in Pedi, shielding himself from the sun with an umbrella.
His wife raised the alarm when he did not return by 7:30 pm, leading to a massive search and rescue operation. Mosley, known for his appearances on The One Show and This Morning, was also recognized for his work in documentaries about diet and exercise, including the Channel 4 show Michael Mosley: Who Made Britain Fat? and the BBC series Trust Me, I’m a Doctor. He gained fame for popularizing the 5:2 diet and was named medical journalist of the year by the British Medical Association in 1995.
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