Dr Michael Mosley’s friends leave flower where TV doc ‘rested before collapsing’ as pics show how close he was to safety
DR Michael Mosley’s heartbroken friends knelt down at the spot where he was found and laid a single white flower today.
Two men and a woman arrived on the rocky mountain on the Greek island of Symi just before midday (10am UK time) and wiped tears from their eyes.
They crouched down for almost 20 minutes and consoled each other on the other side of the wall from Agia Marina in Symi before leaving again by boat.
The flower they left was an oleander flower, a symbol in Greek mythology for charm.
It is associated with a poignant tale of lovers where the man died against rocks.
They asked to be shown the exact spot where he was found before saying: “Can we have a moment?”.
They later said thank you when told they were brave to come.
Dr Mosley’s body was found on Sunday morning after he vanished while walking on Wednesday.
An autopsy completed today in Rhodes signalled the 67-year-old may have taken a final rest just 90 seconds away from the safety of a bar.
Initial findings indicating the doctor’s time of death was around 4pm on the day he went missing, according to police sources.
A report by a Greek coroner shows that from the position of his body, the doctor appears to have rested his hand on a wall before collapsing.
The autopsy also shows that Dr Mosley didn’t seemingly sustain any injuries that indicate criminal activity.
It is understood the condition of the remains has made it difficult to establish the doctor’s exact cause of death.
Footage of Dr Mosley’s final moments seen by The Sun shows he was walking at a slow pace through the mountain trying to reach the beach of Agia Marina.
His body was found on rocky ground after an extensive five-day search by drones, helicopters and specially trained dogs.
Dr Mosley’s wife Clare Bailey raised the alarm on Wednesday evening after her husband failed to return back to their holiday home.
Described as “adventurous” by his partner, Dr Mosley has decided to walk back to their accommodation after visiting St Nikolas beach with two friends.
But what should have been a 20-minute walk turned into a tragedy as Dr Mosley’s body was eventually found more than two miles from his intended destination.
Dr Mosley is understood to have taken a wrong turn – ending up on a rocky, mountainous trek for nearly two hours in unforgiving 37C heat.
Dr Mosley’s movements between when he was last seen in Pedi just before 2pm and when he was seen on CCTV making his final walk towards bar at around 3.45pm remain a mystery.
Timeline of Dr Mosley's disappearance
WEDNESDAY JUNE 5
- 1.30pm: Dr Mosley decides to walk home alone to his holiday home in the town of Symi after going for a swim at a beach
- 1.50pm: The walk home is said to take around 20 minutes from Saint Nikolaos beach despite the doctor never making it back
- 1.52pm: CCTV catches Dr Mosley walking past a shop in Pedi
- Approx 2.20pm: Witnesses claim to have seen Dr Mosley talking to an elderly man in the town with one other person present
- 2.30pm-5pm: Doc was last seen on a house camera on a treacherous path heading towards the Agia Marina
- 7.30pm: Dr Mosley’s wife, Dr Clare Bailey, raises the alarm and calls cops
THURSDAY JUNE 6
- 10.30am: Police file missing person report and the search gets underway
- 11am: Police appeal for any information
- 2pm: Six firefighters, a vehicle and a drone team were all seen arriving in Symi from Rhodes
- 7pm: Helicopters deployed over the island
- 8pm: First day of the search called off for the night
FRIDAY JUNE 7
- 7am Extra police squadrons, coast guard officials, specially-trained sniffer dogs and military helicopters helped in the search
- 5pm The first CCTV images are released of Dr Mosley with his umbrella near the Blue Corner bar
SATURDAY JUNE 8
- 7am Police launch a search of a new area of around 7km as they step up the hunt
- 10.50am: New CCTV is released showing Mosley leaving Pedi and heading towards mountainous path
- 11am Symi’s mayor says ‘no chance’ search will be called off until he is found
- 12pm Mosley’s wife Clare says the family will ‘not lose hope‘ but confesses the last few days have been ‘unbearable’
- 3pm A helicopter joins the search effort in the mountains
SUNDAY JUNE 9
- 10.50am Body found in the search close to caves known as ‘The Abyss’
- 11am Police say they believe the body to be that of Dr Mosley
- 2.50pm Body removed by boat from Symi
- 3.30pm Dr Clare Bailey confirms her ‘wonderful’ husband’s death
The walk from Pedi to Agia Marina – where he was found – normally takes around 30 to 40 minutes if you stick to the path, yet it took Dr Mosley at least one hour and 45 minutes.
After confirming his body had been found, Dr Mosley’s wife Clare Bailey shared a heart-rendering tribute to her husband of 37 years.
She also thanked rescue teams who scoured mountain paths in blistering heat.
Dr Bailey, 62, 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.”
Dr Mosley’s body was covered, placed on a stretcher and carried the short distance to a boat.
He was taken to Rhodes, around 25 miles away, where a full post-mortem was conducted today.
His wife is understood to have accompanied Dr Mosley.
Downing Street said Michael Mosley was an “extraordinary broadcaster” who had a “huge impact” on people’s lives.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “The reports from the weekend are heartbreaking and our thoughts are with Dr Michael Mosley’s family, his wife Clare and friends, in what must be deeply sad times.
“We have seen some incredibly touching tributes which have made clear the huge impact that Dr Mosley had on people and helped to transform people’s lives for the better.
“He will be known as an extraordinary broadcaster who used his platform to influence and change the way we think about many public health issues.”
