Greek police deny having CCTV showing Dr Michael Mosley's last movements four days before he was found
11 June 2024, 13:59
Greek police have been forced to deny they had possession of CCTV footage showing Dr Michael Mosley's final moments four days before his body was discovered.
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The TV medic died on the Greek island of Symi, close to the resort of Agia Marina after a two and a half hour walk alone in 40C heat last Wednesday.
He had been supposed to meet his wife in the town of Symi but took a wrong turn, meaning a journey that should have taken 20 minutes became much longer. The health guru was also without his phone and had only a small bottle of water.
The search went on for around four days until his body was found on Sunday.
But Greek media reported that police had footage of Dr Mosley, 67, outside the beach bar close to where he was found, on Wednesday - a day after his disappearance.
The footage, which The Sun described as "grainy", showed the TV doctor walking on rocking terrain towards a wall that splits the hills and the beach.
The CCTV then shows him sinking to the ground on the spot where he was later found, it is claimed.
Read more: New details surrounding disappearance of Dr Michael Mosley emerge as autopsy is carried out
The CCTV footage was handed in to police by the owner of a local beach bar local news site Live News reported.
Authorities didn't spot anything out of the ordinary and Dr Mosley was hard to spot anything because he appeared so small in the footage, a police officer is reported to have said.
The force has now denied they had been given the footage a day after he went missing, instead claiming they were given the video after Dr Mosley was found.
Initial findings from Dr Mosley's autopsy show that he sat down for a final rest a short distance from a beach bar near Agia Marina.
Medical officials say the position of the body indicates he may have rested on the wall before lying down in temperatures of up to 40C. The report concluded he may have sat down and tried to raise his legs, but he lost consciousness and died.
The new findings seemingly go against initial reports that Dr Mosley suffered a heavy fall in the 37C heat.
His exact cause of death has not yet been established due to difficulties caused by the condition of his remains.
However police believe he died of heat exhaustion after losing consciousness, and no foul play or criminality was involved.
Officers are examining CCTV that reportedly shows the 67-year-old walking at a slow pace through the mountain trying to reach the marina.
At one point in the footage, which is in the hands of police, Dr Mosley collapses on the rocks, indicating he was exhausted.
In a statement on Monday, local police said: “The Headquarters of the Hellenic Police announces that today’s TV report, which refers to possession and non-utilization by the Hellenic Police, does not correspond to reality.
“The reality is that the video material came into the possession of the Greek Police after [Michael Mosley’s] body was found. It is emphasised that the preliminary investigation material so far does not show that the British presenter fell from a height.”
Dr Mosley's body was discovered four days after he went missing in a rocky area beside Agia Marina, around a 30-minutes walk from the village of Pedi where Dr Mosley was last seen on CCTV.
His widow, Dr Clare Bailey Mosley, paid tribute to her "wonderful" husband in a statement.
She said she was "incredibly proud" of their children, who flew out to help with the search.
CCTV footage emerged earlier on Monday which showed Dr Mosley making his way down a rocky slope before falling out of view.
Footage shows that he was walking at a slow pace through the mountain trying to reach the beach of Agia Marina.
The TV doctor's body was discovered in a rocky area beside Agia Marina on the island of Symi, with his wife paying tribute to her "funny, kind and brilliant husband".
His disappearance sparked a huge four-day manhunt, and on Sunday he was discovered off the path near some caves, on the way down towards Agia Marina.
He was spotted by the island's mayor, who had accompanied searchers to the area, as they left on a boat to go back to Pedi.
Eleftherios Papakalodoukas saw something as he looked back towards the island, and alerted the manager of a beach restaurant, who called police.
Agia Marina bar manager Ilias Tsavaris, 38, discovered the body around 100 metres from his establishment after it was flagged by the mayor.
