Thread 4 - Michael Mosley

[Aquarius1234]

Body found and identified.

This is exactly what I think happened too.

Whenever I’ve been in similar areas (can be any hot country) usually I’ve either driven or got a coach to any sort of mountain area if it’s accessible by that. Then you know that you can drive back or get the coach back after doing whatever you’re doing there.

When I was in Crete in August one year it was 35 degrees and the hotel warned us, saying it was “heatwave weather”. You do get idiots who were out in midday sun with direct heat and that’s fine if they want to do that but most people had lunch inside or in the shade or went to anywhere open. Visiting Knossos once, a lot of which is outside, was horrendous as the sun was very hot - it was either before or after lunch. I wouldn’t do that again.

I think the reports of him feeling ill are unconfirmed, and I'd be surprised if they were true given he was seen walking very briskly on CCTV and in the direction of this hilltop walk when there was a much more direct route back to his accommodation.

However, I wouldn't be at all surprised if he was the kind of man that preferred a scenic walk to a day sitting on the beach, and took himself off to do that. Perhaps he went off course on that walk, or was on the course he intended but didn't realise it would be so long/the effect the heat would have.

Very sad, and I can't get his poor wife and children out of my mind, losing him so needlessly in such an avoidable manner. But then again, I think his wife's statement was very telling, referencing that he was an adventurous man and that's part of why she loved him - it's almost like she had resigned herself that this side of his nature had the potential to take him one day.

@WriterOfWrongs

I wonder if anything else will come out or is this finally it. The press today have revealed the final half hour or so of events, captured on CCTV and ruling out any foul play which I admit did seem a distinct possibility at first.

We could pontificate forever on what he said to his wife, where he intended going and to what extent, why he didnt forsee the dangers. We'll probably never know. The Sun has an article asking 5 unanswered questions but its so inaccurate on facts we already know its not worth reading.

@ducktapez I doubt much will come out now, and of course what he said to his wife or why he left is none of our business.

However I wouldn't be surprised if way in the future, CBM, who is a Daily Mail columnist, writes an article about his last day, as a tribute of sorts. Or even a book.

Extremely sad. Poor Mosley family.

I am confused about how he was found. Yesterday a cameraman on a boat was interviewed saying he saw him by zooming in on his camera, and alerted the restaurant owner next door from his boat to go and check . Today the BBC are saying that the mayor found him. Perhaps they are the same person?

I don’t disagree. We were in Malaysia a few years ago and there was a display about road safety and it showed police photos from the aftermath of a number of accidents.

@MaMarysBigBowl Im inclined to agree with your final paragraph. He clearly didn't say he intended to climb that mountain but his wife knew he was the adventurous type and so referenced it in her statement saying how we did an incredible climb and was an adventurous man. As you say, resigned herself to that being part of the man she loved. If only she'd returned to the apartment to find him sitting there telling her of his afternoon adventure.

@SabrinaThwaite Just thought - did you see his wife's statement, saying how he did an incredible climb and took the wrong route. Wrong as in wrong route to where?

I think the mayor was in the same boat.

I think the cameraman who was interviewed said the mayor was on the boat with him and they saw something by the fence. They then called the restaurant and a waiter checked and found him.

This whole thing has struck such a massive chord with me, not only because I enjoyed Dr Mosley's work a lot, but also because my dad is a similar age and this is exactly the kind of thing he'd insist on doing if he was bored sitting on the beach. And he'd never listen to us telling him it's too hot, a dangerous walk, you don't even have your phone etc etc.

It just really shows up the fragility of life, and especially so as we age, even if we're ostensibly very fit and healthy. A few circumstances conspire and it doesn't take much at all in the end, does it?

Ah. That explains it.

We all know that you don't leave children in a car when the weather is hot, even in in a chilly June when the sun is shining.

@ducktapez He was supposed to go to Symi town where their accommodation was but turned right instead of left.My

He was with the Mayor on the boat, filming the rescue operation which was on the other side of the hillside at the time. They both spotted the body from the boat, then went back to look at the footage they had taken on the camera. They took a photo of the footage with a phone and zoomed in. This confirmed it was a body , which is when the cafe owner nearby (not the Mayo)r was alerted to find the body.

A camera crew was filming the mayor, once they got back and reviewed the footage they could see MM’s body, then they alerted the mayor who alerted emergency services.

If you believe The Sun maybe, but that seems a load of nonsense.

Wife said he did an incredible climb. I don’t think he intended to do it, he was a trying to find his way and he so nearly got to civilisation and safety despite it being nowhere near where he needed to be.

I grew up in a very hot country (not Southern Europe) and it was ingrained in me young to stay out of the sun at certain hours, drink lots of water etc.

I can only remember one or two instances of people get heatstroke, but they had done silly things like fallen asleep in the son or drunk too much alcohol.

Oh I don’t read the sun. Where were they staying then?

The mayor was all over the media reports during the search. It seemed incredible that amongst all the people searching that he was the one who found the body, or at least the one who wanted credit for it. I'm pleased foul play has been ruled out as it just didn't ring true at first.

I think there's more to it than the cameraman and the major being in the same boat, as others have said.

I think it was the cameraman who actually discovered the body from the sea, then took a photo and showed the major who was beside him.

But I think the mayor, who seems to have been quite ready with his responses to the media, also chose to say he was the one who spotted the body.

From the BBC -
Dr Mosley's wife said in a statement:

"He did an incredible climb, took the wrong route and collapsed where he couldn’t be easily seen by the extensive search team,"

In another statement she described him as 'adventurous' which suggests to me that she believes he took that route by choice because he enjoyed the challenge, rather than because he was stranded and had no option or was delirious (before heading up the mountain) as was suggested before.

They were indeed staying in Symi, but it seems too much of a stretch to believe that MM somehow wandered up into the mountains by mistake. There must be plenty people who walk from St Nicholas back to Symi and none make the same mistake. Nobody whosoever expected MM to be up on the mountains when he went missing. It's therefore more likely the adventurous man chose to explore the terrain and somehow came unstuck, likely due to the heat.

Well they hadn’t been there long so quite easily done if you’re hot and bothered and have already walked 30 mins in 40c ages 67! Quite believable.

I think this is a big point.

He had a medical emergency and died from 'natural causes not a fall' from the reports the bbc have had from local police.

So even if there had been someone around, they would have needed to know what to do immediately - the chances of the person/people finding him having this skill if limited. And even then this may not have been sufficient as it may have been too serious and he needed hospital care that was not available on the island. He probably didn't have much of a chance even if someone had been around.

Most of my close circle of friends have first aid training. I think I'm the only one who hasn't tbh. But I know how unusual and untypical this is. They all have this for a reason and believe its valuable in case a stranger has a problem. There's a lot to be said for it tbh.