After four days of searching, Greek officials said on Sunday they had discovered the body of British medical journalist and documentary maker Michael Mosley, who disappeared last week while traveling on the Greek island of Symi.
Symi mayor Eleftherios Papakalodoukas said his body was found on the beach in Agia Marina.
His disappearance sparked an extensive search involving firefighters, police and volunteers. Authorities also used police dogs and drones, and the Greek coast guard joined the operation as concerns grew that Mosley had drifted out to sea.
Greek police spokesperson Constantina Dimoglidou said Mosley’s body was discovered by the mayor on a boat patrolling the coast with reporters from national news television channel Ert in 2017. Mosley’s blue shirt was recognized in the last photo taken.
BBC journalist Mosley, 67, arrived on the island of Symi, part of the Dodecanese archipelago in the Aegean Sea, on Tuesday for a week-long trip. He told friends on Wednesday afternoon at Agios Nikolaos beach that he would walk back to his residence in the town of Symi, local authorities said.
The walk is approximately two miles, depending on the route chosen. When hours passed and there was still no sign of Mr Mosley, his wife, Claire Bailey Mosley, reported him missing to the police.
On Friday, the search turned north to Agia Marina after security cameras in the village of Peddie, roughly halfway between the towns of Agios Nicolas and Symi, showed Mosley appearing to be holding a Umbrella.
The terrain above Agia Marina in the north is significantly more rugged and dangerous.
Police said Mosley was not carrying his cell phone during the walk and was last seen by witnesses at a bus stop in Peddie.
For years, many British viewers have relied on Mosley, a long-time science and health researcher, for his myth-busting advice on diet, exercise and sleep. Mr Mosley, who trained as a doctor before entering television, hosts the popular BBC health podcast Just One Thing and appears on the show Trust Me, I’m A Doctor.
He produced various health and science programs for broadcasters and often conducted experiments in the documentaries he presented. He swallowed parasites and tried psychedelic mushrooms, but he is best known for popularizing the 5:2 diet, a form of intermittent fasting that involves eating normally five days a week and then fasting for two.
In 2002, he was nominated for an Emmy Award for “Faces,” a series about the science behind beauty.
Most recently, he has collaborated with UK broadcaster Channel 4 on two series investigating obesity in the UK and the nutritional issues behind everyday consumers’ grocery shopping. This year he toured the UK with his wife, who is also a doctor and health columnist, and performed an interactive live show focusing on healthy living.
