British TV presenter Mosley found dead on Greek island of Symi – local officials

ATHENS/SYMI, Greece (Reuters) -British TV presenter and healthy living advocate Michael Mosley has been found dead in a rocky area on the Greek island of Symi, just metres away from his destination, local mayors told Reuters on Sunday.

Mosley, 67, had been missing since Wednesday after he went for a walk alone along a coastal path in searing heat.

“It is certainly him,” said deputy mayor Nikitas Grillis, pending formal identification.

Police spokeswoman Constantina Dimoglidou earlier said that the body of a person believed to be Mosley had been found in the area of Agia Marina, north of the village of Pedi and opposite the northeast beach of Agios Nikolaos where Mosley set out for his walk.

Another police official said his body had been found on rocky terrain, close to the sea.

Symi Mayor Lefteris Papakalodoukas said the discovery was made after he and others, including state ERT TV journalists, were filming the area from a vessel.

“We analysed the recorded evidence and it was obvious that it was, unfortunately, Mosley,” Papakalodoukas said.

“He was found 10 metres away from the sea, 10-15 metres from his destination, the beach of Agia Marina, between a fence and a path.”

State TV ERT reported that he was found lying face up with his head on a rock.

“It is unclear if he had an accident or if he felt unwell,” Papakalodoukas said.

The coast guard and fire fighters had been deployed to the scene, a Reuters witness said. A coroner was on his way to Symi in a coast guard vessel, said a police official, adding that the body would be transferred to the neighbouring island of Rhodes.

Mosley, who was on the island with his wife, was last seen alive at 1:30 p.m. (1030 GMT) on Wednesday. His children arrived in Symi on Friday.

Symi, part of the Dodecanese island chain, is about 10 miles (16 km) long and has 2,500 residents.

Mosley has appeared on British programmes including the BBC series Trust Me, I’m a Doctor, the BBC’s The One Show and ITV’s This Morning. He popularised the 5:2 diet, which endorses intermittent fasting.

Saleyha Ahsan, a doctor who worked with Mosley at the BBC gave her “heartfelt condolences” to Mosley’s family.

“He lived and breathed his work,” she told Sky News. “He was an inspiration.”

(Reporting by Renee Maltezou; Additional reporting by Yannis Souliotis, Angeliki Koutantou and Michael Holden; Editing by Timothy Heritage and Elaine Hardcastle)