After a four-day search, Greek authorities said Sunday they had found the body of Michael Mosley, a British medical journalist and documentary filmmaker who disappeared last week during a trip to the Greek island of Symi.
His body was found on a beach in Agia Marina, Symi mayor Eleftherios Papakalodoukas said.
His disappearance sparked an extensive search involving firefighters, police officers and volunteers. Authorities also used dogs and drones, and the Greek coast guard also joined the effort as fears grew that Dr Mosley had drifted into the sea.
A spokeswoman for the Greek police, Constantina Dimoglidou, said the mayor, who was on a boat patrolling the coast with journalists from the state TV channel Ert, spotted Dr Mosley's body and recognized his blue T-shirt from the latest photos of him taken on security cameras.
Dr Mosley, 67, a BBC journalist, had arrived on Tuesday in Symi, part of the Dodecanese islands in the Aegean Sea, for a week-long trip. On Wednesday afternoon he told friends on Agios Nikolaos beach that he would return to his accommodation in the town of Symi, local authorities said.
The walk is approximately two miles, depending on the route taken. When hours passed with no sign of Dr. Mosley, his wife, Clare Bailey Mosley, reported her missing to the police.
The search moved north to Agia Marina on Friday after footage emerged from security cameras in the village of Pedi – about halfway between Agios Nikolaos and the town of Symi – showing what appeared to be Dr Mosley with an umbrella.
The terrain to the north, above Agia Marina, is decidedly more rugged and dangerous.
Police said Dr Mosley did not have his phone with him during the walk and was last seen by a witness at a bus stop in Pedi.
“It is devastating to have lost Michael, my wonderful, funny, kind and brilliant husband,” Dr. Mosley's wife said in a statement Sunday, according to the BBC.
Mrs Mosley added: “We take comfort in the fact that he almost made it. He made an incredible climb, took the wrong path and collapsed where he could not easily be seen by the vast search party.”
Over the years, many British viewers have relied on Dr Mosley, a long-time health and science researcher, for his debunked advice on diet, exercise and sleep. Trained as a doctor before venturing into television, Dr Mosley hosted the popular BBC health podcast 'Just One Thing' and appeared on the show 'Trust Me, I'm A Doctor'.
He produced a variety of health and science programs for the broadcaster and often offered himself for experimentation in the documentaries he presented. He ate parasites and experimented with magic mushrooms, but was best known for popularizing the 5:2 diet, a form of intermittent fasting that involves five days of normal eating and two days of fasting each week.
In 2002 he was nominated for an Emmy for “The Human Face,” a series that examines the science behind beauty.
More recently, he published two series with British broadcaster Channel 4 investigating obesity in Britain and the nutrition behind everyday consumer spending. This year he had toured Britain with his wife, also a doctor and health columnist, with an interactive live show focusing on healthy living.