We’ve been as shocked as anyone about the tragic death of Dr Michael Mosley on Symi last week. That’s partly because we read his articles and listened to his broadcasts, which were full of good health advice.
It’s also partly because we’ve been to the lovely island of Symi several times, and knew the areas where he was walking on the day that he died - unlike some of the journalists who were covering the story from their London desks. The first walk that he did was not arduous, as some stories suggested. This walk from Ayios Nikolaos beach to Pedi is a straightforward and mostly flat coastal path, apart from an easy climb up some steps near the start to get over the headland towards Pedi. You wouldn’t even have to be fit to do it. In fact, many families head out to Ayios Nikolaos from Pedi, as it’s less busy and has a nice feel to it.
The walk from Pedi to Symi Town is another matter. Here you have a choice. Most people would take the road that goes up and over the headland past the castle and then down into Symi Town. It’s a steep walk up but is the easiest and safest way.
Another option is to walk around the coast past the little harbour at Ayia Marina, close to where Dr Mosley’s body was found. A third option is to go up and over the headland, which is a tougher walk on a path that can be hard to follow, and with no shade.
It seems likely that Dr Mosley, who clearly enjoyed walking, took the third option and perhaps regretted it, and tried to make his way back down to Ayia Marina. This is speculation as we don’t yet know what happened other than that he died of natural causes, and indeed we may never learn the full story, but knowing the terrain, it’s a possible answer.
Lessons to Learn
The reason we’ve made this week’s newsletter about this sad subject is to stress two points. One is that Dr Mosley didn’t have his phone with him. Always take your phone if you’re going hiking on your own, even on a small island like Symi. You may not always get a signal, but if you can then it might save your life.
The other point is to always take plenty of water with you. Again, Dr Mosley apparently didn’t have much water with him when he set off. He may have become dehydrated and this could have made him ill. He may have passed out, or may have slipped and fallen.
As Greece is currently experiencing an intense heatwave, it’s more important than ever to have plenty of water, and to have your phone. We’ve been in Athens during a heatwave in August, and it would be very easy to pass out if you didn’t drink lots of water and didn’t stop for rests in the shade. Sadly, Dr Mosley wasn’t able to do either.
Stay safe.
Mike and Donna
Good advice in this newsletter.