DR MICHAEL Mosley took a fatal wrong turn and collapsed while trekking after saying goodbye to his wife on a Greek island beach.
The beloved TV doctor was tragically confirmed dead by his family after a body was discovered behind a coastal bar on the island of Symi.
In a heartbreaking statement, Dr Michael’s wife Clare Bailey confirmed the circumstances around his death after an agonising five-day search for the popular health guru.
Mystery had surrounded his vanishing after the 67-year-old left Clare and two close friends on the beach of Saint Nikolas to go for a walk.
He is believed to have been heading back to their holiday accommodation in Symi town when he took a wrong turn while leaving the village of Pedi.
Dr Mosley then is understood to have headed northeast – ending up on a long and hard trek in rocky, difficult and barren landscape beneath a scorching sun.
The TV star did not have his phone with him – having left it at the group’s accommodation.
And all he had with him was an umbrella, his watch, his rucksack, a bottle of water, and his wallet.
Michael managed to reach the Agia Marina.
But tragically, just a few dozen metres from safety he collapsed behind a bar near a fence.
The Sun has seen CCTV that appears to show Dr Mosley’s last movements at 3.44pm – 1 hour and 45 minutes since he was spotted leaving Pedi.
The walk between Pedi and Agia Marina should only take roughly 40 minutes.
In the footage, he appears to be walking down towards the marina before he disappears behind the fence – it is unclear whether he fell of sat down.
A customer can be seen in the restaurant area of the beach bar but they don’t notice Dr Mosley nearby.
For five days, the health expert seemingly disappeared without a trace, prompting a major search operation involving helicopters, divers, dogs, and drones.
Family members flew to the island and rescuers tried to piece together what happened to him.
They faced increasingly unforgiving conditions – with temperatures so hot the jagged rocks even burned search dog’s paws.
Dr Mosley’s body remained undiscovered until Sunday morning when a barman made the heartbreaking find.
It brought to an end a search that had mobilised the tiny island 2,600 people.
In a moving statement, Clare thanked all those who had helped search for her “wonderful” husband – who was also beloved by his fans.
She said: “I don’t know quite where to begin with this. 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. I am incredibly proud of our children, their resilience and support over the past days.
He did an incredible climb, took the wrong route and collapsed where he couldn’t be easily seen by the extensive search team
Michael’s Wife Clare
“My family and I have been hugely comforted by the outpouring of love from people from around the world.
“It’s clear that Michael meant a huge amount to so many of you.
“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.
“Michael was an adventurous man, it’s part of what made him so special. We are so grateful to the extraordinary people on Symi who have worked tirelessly to help find him.
“Some of these people on the island, who hadn’t even heard of Michael, worked from dawn till dusk unasked. We’re also very grateful to The Press who have dealt with us with great respect.”
“I feel so lucky to have our children and my amazing friends. Most of all, I feel so lucky to have had this life with Michael.”
Police are understood to have identified Dr Mosley’s remains using his clothes and watch.
He was discovered close to a dangerous cave complex known to locals as “The Abyss”.
Police spokesperson Konstantina Dimoglou said: “How long he had survived there is hard to tell but he had walked a very long way.
“He was close to where he wanted to get to.”
The Brit presenter, known for his appearances on The One Show and This Morning, had been last seen in CCTV footage at 2pm on Wednesday leaving the village of Pedi and headed towards a rocky path.
The mayor of Symi, Eleftherios Papakalodouk added: “We analysed the recorded evidence and it was obvious that it was, unfortunately, Mosley.”
The mayor said he was on a boat when he spotted a body lying 20m above the Agia Marina beach and called a nearby bar to have a look.
“We zoomed with the cameras and saw it was him,” he said.
Ilias Tsavaris, 38, the bar manager, who first saw the body, told The Sun: “I walked up 30 metres and I saw an image of a person, I said is that…I went closer and closer.
“I called the owners, him and the other guy, and they called the police.”
He continued: “He came from Pedi okay, and he didn’t come to the restaurant, if he had walked through there [the bar] we would have checked the cameras.”
Ilias added: “Rescuers had searched that area everyday with helicopters.”
Source: https://www.the-sun.com/entertainment/11580153/michael-mosley-body-found-greece-beach/