Dr. Michael Mosley’s final social media post included a heartfelt tribute to his wife, Dr. Clare Bailey, before his body was tragically discovered on the Greek island of Symi.
The beloved TV doctor had been at Agios Nikolaos beach with friends on Wednesday before embarking on a solo walk to the island’s center.
He was found in a rugged area near Agia Marina today after a grueling five-day search in blistering heat.
For five days, the 67-year-old British TV presenter seemed to have disappeared without a trace, prompting an extensive search operation involving helicopters, divers, dogs, and drones.
It was reported at the time that Dr. Mosley left the beach at Saint Nikolas, where he had been with his wife Clare and two friends, before walking back alone to Pedi without his cell phone.
Released on Saturday, surveillance footage showed him continuing through the fishing village and towards a rocky path in scorching temperatures of up to 98°F. Earlier footage at 1:52PM captured him near a cafe in Pedi, using an umbrella for shade.
On May 25, he made his last social media post, responding to a fan who asked if he’d heard the Dead Ringer's parody of him. He wrote: “I have... I’m not convinced I really sound like that but my wife Clare says it is spot on.”
One memorable parody from Series 21, Episode 4 of Dead Ringers humorously mimicked Dr. Mosley, saying, "I'm Dr. Michael Mosley, Jolly Paddington. Bear of doctors. Except that I hand out fewer marmalade sandwiches and more diagnoses of type two diabetes... This week I'll be looking at just one thing you can do to recover from seeing the Matt Hancock CCTV footage. My one simple tip is gouge out your eyes. Join me next week and I'll be seeing a daily round of Russian roulette. Can help with mindfulness, cheerio."
In an emotional tribute to her husband of nearly 40 years, Dr. Bailey shared her grief: "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."
Dr. Bailey, who shares four children with Dr. Mosley, added: "My family and I have been hugely comforted by the outpouring of love from people 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."
Mimi Spencer, who co-authored The Fast Diet with Dr. Mosley, paid her respects, describing him as "immediately likable, genuinely funny" and said she will "miss him terribly."
Speaking on BBC Radio 4, she reminisced: "In person, he was very much the sort of figure that you would see on television: immediately likable, genuinely funny, enthusiastic, he had this innate enthusiasm about life, and he was always very generous with his time.
“He had a brilliant line in tangential anecdote which comes out of his broadcasting as well, that his mind would go down rabbit holes and come out with fantastic snippets of information, and talking to him in person was much like that, you never quite knew where you were going to arrive, but the journey was always fascinating."
Spencer further added: "Funnily enough, in person, he could also be quite self-deprecating, and actually quite shy. So he never blew his trumpet, he was quite a humble person. I think when he had success, whether it was on the TV or through his books, he was rather thrown by it, he wasn’t expecting it, and that speaks to the man really; that he kept that humility throughout."
Authorities arrived at Agia Marina shortly after the body was found about 300 feet from the coastline. Firefighters and forensic officers meticulously gathered Dr. Mosley’s body and transported it to a mortuary on the island of Rhodes for an autopsy. His children, who had retraced his steps, were heartbreakingly close to the discovery site.
As temperatures soared to a sweltering 98°F., it’s believed Dr. Mosley may have been trying to reach the sea, his body found mere feet from the shoreline. At the time of his disappearance, the Greek Meteorological office had issued an excessive heat warning with temperatures expected to hit an unseasonably high 100°F
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