British TV personality and health guru Michael Mosley may have died shortly after becoming unwell while walking alone on the Greek island of Symi, local police told CNN on Monday.
Mosley, a television doctor who popularized a type of intermittent fasting known as the 5:2 diet, was on vacation when he went missing on Wednesday, sparking an enormous days-long search involving the police, fire service, coast guard and volunteers.
His body was found on Sunday about a two-hour walk from Agios Nikolaos beach, from where he set off on his walk. Police believe he died around 4 p.m. local time (9 a.m. ET) on Wednesday, the day he went missing, Greek police spokeswoman Konstantia Dimoglidou told CNN.
An initial autopsy concluded that Mosley died from natural causes and that there were no injuries on his body that could have caused his death, the .
Dimoglidou told CNN that police do not believe Mosley had been sitting down for long before dying, as his time of death was similar to the length of time it would have taken for him to reach the spot.
Mosleyâs body was found when a boat carrying the islandâs mayor, Lefteris Papakalodoukas, and some journalists spotted him lying face-up next to a fence about 20 meters (66 feet) above Agia Marina beach, .
The position in which his body was found suggests he was sitting at the time of his death, Dimoglidou said.
Mosleyâs wife, Dr. Clare Bailey, paid tribute to her âwonderful, funny, kind and brilliantâ husband after his body was found, saying that he âdid an incredible climb, took the wrong route and collapsed where he couldnât be easily seen by the extensive search team.â
His family have identified the body to police but a formal identification using DNA samples has yet to take place, Dimoglidou added.
The television doctor was known for British documentary shows such as Channel 4âs âMichael Mosley: Who Made Britain Fat?â and the BBCâs âTrust Me, Iâm A Doctor.â
The 67-year-old broadcaster was also a regular on talk shows such as the BBCâs âThe One Showâ and ITVâs âThis Morning,â and was a columnist for the Daily Mail.
He authored a book on the Fast 800 diet, which focuses on time-restricted eating for rapid weight loss. His wife wrote a recipe book as part of âThe Fast 800â book series.
In 2002, Mosley was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for outstanding non-fiction special (informational) after executive producing the 2001 BBC mini-series âThe Human Face,â which examined the science behind facial beauty, expression and fame.
The father-of-four deliberately infested himself with parasites to learn more about them for BBCâs 2014 show âInfested! Living with Parasites.â
Mosleyâs impact on public health, particularly in Britain, was evident in the tributes paid to him. Former lawmaker Tom Watson that Mosley âwas a hero to me,â and that he âhelped thousands of people get well and healthy. Iâm one of them.â
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said Mosley âwill be known as an extraordinary broadcaster who used his platform to influence and change the way we think about many public health issues,â according to PA Media.