Disappearance of Dr Michael Mosley

[Samson]

Here is the New Zealand link.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/bo...d-on-greek-island/TPJRIWXHXFBJVEFCZVRJ37M6MM/

I had not heard of him but do not habitualy watch television. Those that do alerted me to his body of work.

 

[Explorer]

He has had the condition called TGA, something that he wrote about and suffered from when he did some cold water swimming when he was 62, and could explain a lot about the mystery of what actually happened to him. The condition comes on suddenly and causes disorientation and temporary memory loss. This can be caused by both cold and hot temperatures and also high levels of physical activity, the latter two both can be attributable to the situation he faced as he navigated that rugged terrain in the extreme heat of the mid-day temperatures of Greece.

 

[Norman Alexander]

This Google Maps 3D image showing the rocks just above the small port of Agia Marina which may be the area where he was found, less than 50 metres from the shore and people. It matches the official description of the location. There appear to be small overhangs and shaded areas there, which would put him out of helicopter view. Perhaps he stopped to rest with a view (spin the view around to see), and some medical event overcame him. We shall see in time.

 

[catsmate]

But not unusual if the search was not controlled by and undertook by very experienced folk.

Or properly coordinated.

 

[theprestige]

Should have asked Turkey to send a recon drone.

 

[Thermal]

Conflict of interests. The Turks invented disappearing.

 

[Explorer]

This is still not fully explained in my view, and there are still questions that need to be asked.

We have been told different reports by the media about the circumstances of his decision to go for his walk.

Firstly, it was reported that he said to his wife that he was going for a walk "to the centre of the island". Another report said he "cheerfully said goodbye" to his wife, and then the last report said that he told his wife that he was not feeling well and was returning to the villa.

His wife in her statement after Mosley's body was found, said that he "took a wrong route" but "did incredibly well" to get as far as he did. This seems an odd thing to say if she thought he was returning home feeling unwell, and which which was in the opposite direction and only about a twenty minute return journey, that presumably both of them took on foot to get to the beach that same morning.

I can understand him wanting to explore the island a bit more on foot, but cannot understand why he seemingly took unnecessary risks in those conditions, and if he felt at all unwell, he would not be doing that in the first place.

The latest news has just been reported by the BBC, and they said this:

"Footage taken nearby, which the BBC has been told about but not seen, is said to show what appear to be Dr Mosley's final moments, as he makes his way down a slope before disappearing behind a wall."

The "wall" reference seems to place him much closer to the bar area and entrance where he was found, than the wire fencing higher up the gradient. So bad luck that he couldn't make those last few metres, and was never seen by anyone.

 

[Darat]

Can you provide sources for those different explanations.

 

[Explorer]

Can you provide sources for those different explanations.

Well yes. I took most of the reports from the BBC News live website, and of course these constantly get updated, often as if the one before didn't exist, sometimes. The one where he said goodbye cheerfully wasn't the BBC, but sorry can't remember which source that one was. I think I read that in a front page facsimile of one of the tabloids. Not very helpful I know, but they were reported unsourced, and as they were obviously private conversations at the time, the quotes must have come from his wife, or one or more of their friends when journalists got to them.

 

[Shrinker]

This is still not fully explained in my view, and there are still questions that need to be asked.

We have been told different reports by the media about the circumstances of his decision to go for his walk.

Firstly, it was reported that he said to his wife that he was going for a walk "to the centre of the island". Another report said he "cheerfully said goodbye" to his wife, and then the last report said that he told his wife that he was not feeling well and was returning to the villa.

His wife in her statement after Mosley's body was found, said that he "took a wrong route" but "did incredibly well" to get as far as he did. This seems an odd thing to say if she thought he was returning home feeling unwell, and which which was in the opposite direction and only about a twenty minute return journey, that presumably both of them took on foot to get to the beach that same morning.

I can understand him wanting to explore the island a bit more on foot, but cannot understand why he seemingly took unnecessary risks in those conditions, and if he felt at all unwell, he would not be doing that in the first place.

The latest news has just been reported by the BBC, and they said this:

"Footage taken nearby, which the BBC has been told about but not seen, is said to show what appear to be Dr Mosley's final moments, as he makes his way down a slope before disappearing behind a wall."

The "wall" reference seems to place him much closer to the bar area and entrance where he was found, than the wire fencing higher up the gradient. So bad luck that he couldn't make those last few metres, and was never seen by anyone.

You can make a mystery/conspiracy out of anything if you try. There are simple explanations for all of these things. The main one is that a single phrase or sentence from a witness or involved person is not enough to construct a full picture and start claiming coulds, woulds and shoulds.

Your first could easily covered with, ‘I feel unwell, I’m going to try to walk it off,’…’okay, be careful,’…’I’ll be fine, see you later, love’. Ill and cheerful, are not mutually exclusive.

Your second is explained with, ‘I’ll see you back at the villa, later.’ Which means I’m going to the villa, but not directly.

The ‘risk he took’ is just hindsight. His state of being unwell could have been anything, a headache, a spot of nausea. It could have passed before he took a risky detour. You’d need to know a lot more about his condition.

‘Did incredibly well,’ could be explained by him taking a wrong route and trying to adjust by cutting through rough or steep terrain. Or it could be explained by her knowing something we don’t about what afflicted him in those moments.

The wall thing is explained by perspective. The wall could have been right up in the foreground of the frame, and Moseley a tiny speck in the distance. Nothing about the sentence says he was physically close to the wall.

 

[GlennB]

You can make a mystery/conspiracy out of anything if you try. There are simple explanations for all of these things. The main one is that a single phrase or sentence from a witness or involved person is not enough to construct a full picture and start claiming coulds, woulds and shoulds.

Your first could easily covered with, ‘I feel unwell, I’m going to try to walk it off,’…’okay, be careful,’…’I’ll be fine, see you later, love’. Ill and cheerful, are not mutually exclusive.

Just to consider this one, nobody in their right mind even thinks about taking a substantial walk in 40C (104F) heat and blazing sunshine, let alone tackling rough terrain and least of all if feeling even a little poorly. And this man was a doctor.

 

[Gord_in_Toronto]

Just to consider this one, nobody in their right mind even thinks about taking a substantial walk in 40C (104F) heat and blazing sunshine, let alone tackling rough terrain and least of all if feeling even a little poorly. And this man was a doctor.

The expression, "Mad dogs and Englishmen," comes to mind.

 

[Norman Alexander]

This Google Maps 3D image showing the rocks just above the small port of Agia Marina which may be the area where he was found, less than 50 metres from the shore and people. It matches the official description of the location. There appear to be small overhangs and shaded areas there, which would put him out of helicopter view. Perhaps he stopped to rest with a view (spin the view around to see), and some medical event overcame him. We shall see in time.

I was wrong. He was found on the other side of the small port.

 

[Darat]

Well yes. I took most of the reports from the BBC News live website, and of course these constantly get updated, often as if the one before didn't exist, sometimes. The one where he said goodbye cheerfully wasn't the BBC, but sorry can't remember which source that one was. I think I read that in a front page facsimile of one of the tabloids. Not very helpful I know, but they were reported unsourced, and as they were obviously private conversations at the time, the quotes must have come from his wife, or one or more of their friends when journalists got to them.

A link to any story saying he was unwell would be a good start.

 

[dann]

This is still not fully explained in my view, and there are still questions that need to be asked.

I think your earlier reference to TGA is spot on. I never heard of the condition, but it would explain how he got lost. He may not even have known where in the world he was, and even if he had asked for directions, he wouldn't have remembered two minutes later.
Transient global amnesia (TGA) (Wikipedia)

 

[theprestige]

This is still not fully explained in my view, and there are still questions that need to be asked.

We have been told different reports by the media about the circumstances of his decision to go for his walk.

Firstly, it was reported that he said to his wife that he was going for a walk "to the centre of the island". Another report said he "cheerfully said goodbye" to his wife, and then the last report said that he told his wife that he was not feeling well and was returning to the villa.

His wife in her statement after Mosley's body was found, said that he "took a wrong route" but "did incredibly well" to get as far as he did. This seems an odd thing to say if she thought he was returning home feeling unwell, and which which was in the opposite direction and only about a twenty minute return journey, that presumably both of them took on foot to get to the beach that same morning.

I can understand him wanting to explore the island a bit more on foot, but cannot understand why he seemingly took unnecessary risks in those conditions, and if he felt at all unwell, he would not be doing that in the first place.

The latest news has just been reported by the BBC, and they said this:

"Footage taken nearby, which the BBC has been told about but not seen, is said to show what appear to be Dr Mosley's final moments, as he makes his way down a slope before disappearing behind a wall."

The "wall" reference seems to place him much closer to the bar area and entrance where he was found, than the wire fencing higher up the gradient. So bad luck that he couldn't make those last few metres, and was never seen by anyone.

Whenever I find a variance between early reports and emerging facts, I always go for the simplest explanation that favors the emerging facts.

 

[I Am The Scum]

You can make a mystery/conspiracy out of anything if you try. There are simple explanations for all of these things. The main one is that a single phrase or sentence from a witness or involved person is not enough to construct a full picture and start claiming coulds, woulds and shoulds.

One of the things that always bugged me about the original Sherlock Holmes stories is that Holmes would often draw elaborate conclusions from a few simple details in a single eye-witness account. I don't think there was a single case where the detective later learned that one of these witnesses misremembered one of the finer points.

 

[Explorer]

Whenever I find a variance between early reports and emerging facts, I always go for the simplest explanation that favors the emerging facts.

Well new facts are indeed emerging. The BBC just reporting that a video shows Mosley near the bar walking down obviously in a state of distress and at one point fell on his knees, before disappearing behind a wall and out of sight.

The autopsy revealed that he died of natural causes, and had no sign of injury, and consistent with a collapse from standing.

As others on here agree, whatever the motivation for this trek he did it in searing heat and rugged terrain, and it seems it was eventually too much for him.

Sad to say in my view, that he died for essentially,nothing, on a holiday. A great guy, and influential in my own dieting regime, and no more interesting medical and food science programmes from a great communicator anymore. Damn it!

 

[Orphia Nay]

There’s been an initial post-mortem investigation but toxicology and histology haven’t been completed yet, so cause of death isn't officially finalised.

But there appears to be nothing to suggest death was due to anything suspicious.

 

[rjh01]

Its all rather odd. To leave his wife on the beach and decide to walk "to the centre of the island" in the heat of the Greek mid-day sun with apparently just a parasol to protect himself, and without a phone in a dodgy terrain, seems out of the character, at least with the one we see on TV.

If he had water, and most tourists trekking with the heat for any length of time, would usually carry some, he might stand a chance if he had an accident and couldn't walk.

The locals say its odd too, and that its difficult for a child to get lost on Symi, let alone an adult male.

I have just read this thread and this post deserves a decent answer as it raises some good points. I cannot find anyone who has even attempted to answer it. Though other posts by Explorer have been answered, at least in part.