Michael Mosley's wife Dr. Clare Bailey has released a statement after her husband's body was found days after he went missing on the Greek island of Symi.
Her 67-year-old husband disappeared after setting out on a coastal walk on the island, with the island's deputy mayor confirming that his body had been found this morning
“He has been found in the area of Ayia Marina,” Deputy Mayor Nikitas Grillas, told the Guardian. “I can confirm that it is him.”
On the fifth day of an increasingly desperate search, Mosley was reportedly discovered by a camera operator from the state broadcaster ERT.
Mosley's wife Dr. Clare Bailey has confirmed her husband's passing, stating via Sky News: "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.
"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."
She continued: "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.
"Thank you all."
The body was located on rocky terrain near a fence, about 164 feet from a small resort only accessible by boat or foot, on the opposite side of the bay from where he had left his wife and friends earlier that day. The baseball cap he was wearing and the umbrella he carried for sun protection were found with him.
“It is clear from his watch and clothes that it is Dr. Mosley,” police spokesperson Konstantina Dimoglou said. It remains uncertain how long he had been deceased. “We don’t know that yet but what we do know is that he had walked a very long way, he was very close to his destination.”
A news camera crew noticed the body lying on the rocky terrain from a boat in the bay of Ayia Marina, zooming in on an image they captured.
“We located him [from a boat] when we went into the bay of Ayia Marina,” said ERT journalist Aristides Miaoulis, describing how the camera operator saw “something strange” near a fence about 164 feet from the sea. “Once we zoomed in, we saw it was this man because his watch was glinting [in the sun].”
Now, local officials on the Greek island of Symi have confirmed that the body is that of the TV doctor, ahead of the impending autopsy, Sky News reports.
