'Likely cause of death was heat exhaustion after walking in 40C'

TV doctor Michael Mosley took fatal wrong turn on island trek

- Robert Kellaway

MICHAEL Mosley died of heat exhaustion after sitting down and losing consciousness yards from a Greek island beach resort in 40C heat, tests have revealed.

The TV doctor, famous for his 5:2 and The Fast 800 diets, collapsed and died of natural causes two-and a-half hours after leaving his wife, Dr Clare Bailey, to walk back to their holiday accommodation across the Greek island of Symi.

The initial post-mortem examination by Rhodes coroner Despina Nethena showed no one else was involved in Dr Mosley's death, nor was there a "criminal" element.

It is thought Dr Mosley, 67, may have sat down after being overcome with exhaustion and the effects of the heat after taking a wrong turn down a mountain path last Wednesday.

Symi police commander Dimos Kotsidaras said: "It looks like cause of death was heat exhaustion after walking in high temperatures from St Nicholas to Agia Marina." Police and the coroner are also investigating CCTV footage from a restaurant which shows Dr Mosley wandering in a confused state for 20 minutes before collapsing.

Temperatures had been nudging 40C and the excessive heat is thought to have played a role in his death.

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In the video Dr Mosley appears to pause momentarily by a perimeter wall, resting one hand on it.

Then he loses his balance and disappears from sight.