The cause of death of Dr Michael Mosley will never be known, a coroner has ruled. The broadcaster, podcast host and author died after going for a walk in scorching temperatures in Greece in June this year.
But a major four-day search was launched when he failed to return before his body was found four days later. Authorities in Greece at the time said his death was as a result of natural causes.
Now Crispin Butler, Senior Coroner for Buckinghamshire, has ruled it is impossible to know exactly what caused the start to die. He ruled the medical cause of death was “unascertainable”.
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The hearing, which was conducted “on papers” at the request of the family, was held to “gather relevant evidence” to address the following questions:
1. Who was the deceased?
2. What was the medical cause of the death?
3. When, where and how did the deceased die?
It added: “In answering those questions, the Inquest then reaches a conclusion as to the death. This information is then contained on a single document known as the Record of Inquest.”
The coroner said he had used documents including the Greek death certificate which confirmed his death was verified to have occurred on the 5th of June 2024 in a rocky area near Agia Marina Beach, Symi, Dodecanese, Greece. It added: “The medical cause of death was undetermined but with injuries excluded.”
It went on to say: “There was no particular medical history described by Michael’s GP which would account for his collapse or death.” Further evidence from the family confirmed the details of their trip, staying with friends.
It said: “On the morning of 5th of June they travelled to Pedi Beach, arriving late morning. Michael had intentionally left his mobile phone back at the house to prevent it getting wet on the ferry.
“Later in the afternoon Michael decided he was going to walk back home rather than take the ferry. He had his rucksack, 1 litre of water and a biscuit, and had a hat and umbrella. Michael was described as looking energetic and cheerful as he set off.”
The coroner also examined an autopsy report translated from Greek which confirmed of “the unfortunate deterioration in Michael’s body between his passing and his being recovered”. It added: “There had been high temperatures during this time. His death was not found to be due to homicide suicide or an accident related to injuries.”
It concluded: “Michael’s death was most likely attributable either to heatstroke (accidental) or non-identified pathological cause. There was nothing of note in toxicology. Ultimately Michael’s death was classified as indeterminate, which we would describe as ‘unascertainable’.”
The coroner gave an “open conclusion” saying: “Michael Mosley collapsed and died on the 5th of June 2024 in a rocky area near Agia Marina Beach, Symi, Dodecanese, Greece. There had been high temperatures during this time. Michael’s death was not found to be due to homicide, suicide or an accident related to injuries.
“Michael’s death was most likely attributable either to heatstroke (accidental) or a non-identified pathological cause. There was nothing of note in toxicology. No medical cause of death could be ascertained, meaning Michael’s death may have been due to a medical event or as a result of a non-traumatic accident.”
Dr. Mosley, widely recognised for his dietary and weight loss expertise, became a household name as a result of his TV shows, podcasts, and bestselling books on diet plans. His plans included The Fast 800, 5:2, The Way of Life, and The Fast 800 Keto.