To find what’s happened to Michael Mosley quite anxiety provoking

[Glasto73lover]

It’s that idea of never really knowing what’s going to happen- the idea that we walk such a fine line in life. If you think too much about it, you probably wouldn’t leave the house.!

A close family member died suddenly and tragically a decade ago - literally dropped dead at home age 48 - something went pop in their head. So you genuinely don’t know when your time is up.

It’s that idea of a chain of consequence that can go so horribly wrong too- people always say ‘oh but you could get hit by a bus’ - stuff like this actually makes me really anxious. So many what ifs.

For Michael Moseley - a chain of probably inconsequential decisions may have led to his death- not having a phone on him, choosing to undertake a walk that in the U.K. is nothing but in that heat, was devastating and probably caused his death.

It makes me anxious that I won’t know if I am making those decisions - am I making sense? I think as I have got older, I have become more anxious and risk averse (thanks menopause) and as a result, you could end up not leaving the house. How do you choose a sensible approach? Not too much risk but some!

But I also want to live my life too!! I guess I find incidents like this quite difficult!

I guess always having a phone, not undertaking walks in intense heat in an unfamiliar place etc are the common sense points that will come out of this tragedy.

Aibu to find it anxiety provoking tho?!

I can’t quite believe that you’re suggesting no one in the uk was outdoors in the afternoon without shade for 30 minutes or more?? Of course they were! Exactly as posters on this thread have confirmed.

Any heat we've had in this country, no matter the temperature, does not feel like desert heat. Being close to the equator on a white/beige landscape is something else.

Exactly. And the ‘average’ mumsnetter going about her business on a hot summer’s day in the UK is nowhere near comparable to MM (a doctor at an almost elderly age) and the circumstances that led up to his death.

@westisbest1982 It really isn't.
Though I've just looked up the equator and it's not actually close but definitely closer than us! And I stand by the rest. My two episodes of heatstroke were in the Middle East surrounded by white rocks and sandy ground, no trees or shade.
I've been very hot in the UK but never felt ill.

I don't actually get how you are not alone just because you have a mobile phone with you. You don't even need to switch it on. There are no advantages to not having one.

I'm not suggesting that at all, I'm an ultra runner and have done long races in high temperatures. I just don't think you can compare a 67 yr old walking in intense, blinding heat on the side of what is basically moon rock to the school run! Or does your school run take you over a rocky outcrop with zero shady or refreshments available en route? An unusual school I'd wager

He was walking for 2.5 hours from 1.30 to 4pm when he died. The temperatures were said to be around 40 degrees. Temperatures are recorded in the shade so whatever you read you need to add a few degrees on to that to get the actual temperature in the sun.
There were no trees, no shade.
It wasn't just just the heat, it was the exertion! The average school run does not include climbing a mountain! And navigating the very rocky terrain on that mountain for 1.5 hours.
I can easily see how someone of any age, let alone a 67 year old, could due of heatstroke in those conditions.

@Strawberriesaregoingoff @SallyWD Exactly, and yes some people forget how long he was walking in it. It was hours on a baking hot exposed white rocky surface with an incline, age 67.
I wish he'd seen the mountain ahead of him once he got to Pedi and decided to rest there instead. It feels like he kept going thinking "it'll be just around the next bit" and he kept going and going and then thought turning back would be counterproductive

Comparison to the school run is just nuts. He'd have been extremely stressed too as he started to realize he was in trouble.

Another reason it’s not comparable to a school run or a walk to the shops is the fact he was on his own and couldn’t be seen for at least part of his route. I imagine most school runs are on routes where there will be houses and other people around, even if it’s just people driving past who happen to see you staggering or collapsing- someone is going to stop and see if you’re ok, or you might be able to flag someone down or shout for help.

If there are any positives to take from what happened to MM it is that we are surely all a bit more aware of how heat has the potential to make you very ill and indeed kill.
I've worked at 3 day events where horses are carefully monitored for overheating after the cross country, they are actively cooled while having their temperatures checked until they are normal. So I knew how vital quick cooling for overheated animals is but I've been shocked by how easily Michael got into difficulties on what sounds like a fairly normal walk.

I read an article this morning that Greek authorities are worried about tourists on remote islands not understanding the impact of heat. Two other tourists have gone missing who are older, whilst out on a walk. One Dutch and one American.
For all those claiming the temperature in Greece is normal hot - Greece has closed its schools, the Acropolis has been closed at times, and Red Cross have been handing out free bottles of water. It is too hot in Greece at the moment to be going a walk in places that are quiet. That is doubly the case if you are older, however fit you are.

Listened to the last interview with MM this morning Just One Long Thing with an intro by Chris Van Tulken.

I think his wife will get comfort from the loving shout outs he gives her and his children during the interview. Such a tragic loss for her but lovely to have so much video and audio footage of her amore.

I listened to that too, he obviously adored his wife 😞

He was such a lovely man and they were obviously a very happy family. It's just such so tragic it ended this way. I wish his family all the best and I'm sure his legacy will live on. I certainly will keep on eating my fruit and handful of mixed nuts every day from now on, so thank you Michael and RIP!

I'm still having trouble getting to sleep with the vision of him becoming iller and iller with no help on that baking hill side. And realising he wasn't going to make it and his wife would not know where he was. I'm finding it really hard to stop visualising. And then not being found and it being so high profile. It's all very very sad and horrific.

Squats, standing on one leg, eating slowly, eating way less than I used to I owe it all to him and his accessible medical passion. Poor MM.

I've been tormented by these thoughts too but I'm thinking maybe he had hope at the end. He'd reached civilisation after all and was feeling a bit faint so lay down to rest. Maybe he thought he'd be OK after a rest. Also heat stroke causes confusion so maybe he was too confused to really understand he was about to die.

Honestly is everyone not bored of arguing about this now?

Fgs read the room

Me too, just so sad

Did anyone see the wee programme on bbc1 tonight about him. Bless him. It was so sad to see his kids knowing they’ve lost their dad

I agree with this. He was always so positive and was so close to civilisation so I'm choosing to believe that he thought "I'll just lie down here and rest and someone over there will spot me in a moment."

That’s exactly how I’ve been choosing to think of it too @GameOfJones.

Thank you @SallyWD and @GameOfJones yes that's really a possibility of what happened so actually quite a peaceful ending for him which is what other up thread have said potentially a good way to end a life well lived.
Off to watch the programme on him now.

Watched the programme and it just reminded me what a brilliant presenter we have lost. His programmes were interesting and funny. No more MM documentaries 😥. I don't know why his death has made me feel so sad - it's almost like I've lost a friend. Can't imagine how his family feel.