Body of missing British TV presenter Michael Mosley found on Greek island

ATHENS (AP) — The body of missing British TV presenter and author Dr. Michael Mosley was found on a Greek island Sunday morning after a days-long search, his family said.

Mosley, who went missing on the island of Symi on Wednesday afternoon, was spotted among rocks on a rugged stretch of coast by a party on a boat that included the local mayor and journalists.

Mosley’s wife said her husband took the wrong route on a hike and collapsed just short of reaching a marina in a place where his body couldn’t easily be seen.

“Michael was an adventurous man, it’s part of what made him so special,” Dr. Clare Bailey Mosley said in statement. “It’s devastating to have lost Michael, my wonderful, funny, kind and brilliant husband. We had an incredibly lucky life together. We loved each other very much and were so happy together.”

Mosley, 67, was well known in Britain for his many programs on the BBC, regular appearances on television and radio and his column in the Daily Mail newspaper. He was known outside the U.K. for his 2013 book “The Fast Diet,” which he co-authored with journalist Mimi Spencer. The book proposed the so-called “5:2 diet,” which promised to help people lose weight quickly by minimizing their calorie intake two days a week while eating healthily on the other five.

He subsequently introduced a rapid weight loss program and made a number of films about diet and exercise.

Mosley often pushed his body to extreme lengths to see the effects of his diets and also lived with tapeworms in his guts for six weeks for the BBC documentary “Infested! Living With Parasites.”

Even before the body’s identity was confirmed, tributes poured in for Mosley.

“In person he was very much the sort of figure that you would see on television: immediately likeable, genuinely funny, enthusiastic, he had this innate enthusiasm about life and he was always very generous with his time," his co-author Spencer told BBC Radio 4. “He never blew his trumpet, he was quite a humble person.”

Tom Watson, former deputy leader of Britain’s Labour Party, called Mosley a hero and said he lost nearly 100 pounds (45 kilograms) following one of the doctor’s diet books.

“It’s hard to describe how upset I am by this news,” Watson said on the social media platform X. “Through courageous, science-based journalism, Michael Mosley has helped thousands of people get well and healthy. I’m one of them.”

Dr. Saleyha Ahsan, who was co-host on “Trust Me, I’m A Doctor,” said Mosley had a talent for putting people at ease and explaining science to a general audience, “not just a niche scientific crowd, but to everyone.”

“Michael’s a national treasure and he’s so personable,” Ahsan told the BBC.

Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver said Mosley’s research and TV shows had served the public well and changed the conversation around health issues.

“What a wonderfully sweet, kind and gentle man he was,” Oliver said on Instagram.

Clare Bailey Mosley thanked the people of the island of Symi, who she said worked tirelessly to find him.

“Some of these people on the island, who hadn’t even heard of Michael, worked from dawn till dusk unasked,” she said. “My family and I have been hugely comforted by the outpouring of love from people from around the world. It’s clear that Michael meant a huge amount to so many of you.”

Lefteris Papakalodoukas, the island’s mayor, told The Associated Press that he was on a boat with journalists when they saw a body some 65 feet (20 meters) above the Agia Marina beach. He said Mosley was lying face-up next to a fence.

“We zoomed with the cameras and saw it was him,” he said.

Ilias Tsavaris, a bar manager at the marina, said he scrambled up the hillside after getting a call from the boat telling him to confirm the sighting.

“When I walked up I saw something like a body," he said. “You don’t see a dead body everyday, it is not a warzone, it’s summer, you are supposed to have fun and swimming.”

As police officers were retrieving Mosley's body, one fell on the slope and had to be carried away on a stretcher, local media reported. The body will be taken to the nearby island of Rhodes for autopsy.

Mosley had four children with his wife, who is also an author and health columnist.

Associated Press writer Brian Melley contributed to this report from London.

The body of missing British TV presenter Michael Mosley lies on a rocky area on the island of Symi, Sunday, June 9, 2024. The family of missing British TV presenter Dr. Michael Mosley have confirmed his body has been found on a Greek island. Mosley’s wife said Sunday in a statement that her husband had gone for a hike and took the wrong route and collapsed in a place where his body couldn’t easily be seen. (AP Photo/Panormitis Chatzigiannakis)

The body of missing British TV presenter Michael Mosley lies on a rocky area on the island of Symi, Sunday, June 9, 2024. The family of missing British TV presenter Dr. Michael Mosley have confirmed his body has been found on a Greek island. Mosley’s wife said Sunday in a statement that her husband had gone for a hike and took the wrong route and collapsed in a place where his body couldn’t easily be seen. (AP Photo/Panormitis Chatzigiannakis)

The body of missing British TV presenter Michael Mosley lies on a rocky area on the island of Symi, Sunday, June 9, 2024. The family of missing British TV presenter Dr. Michael Mosley have confirmed his body has been found on a Greek island. Mosley’s wife said Sunday in a statement that her husband had gone for a hike and took the wrong route and collapsed in a place where his body couldn’t easily be seen. (AP Photo/Panormitis Chatzigiannakis)

The body of missing British TV presenter Michael Mosley lies on a rocky area on the island of Symi, Sunday, June 9, 2024. The family of missing British TV presenter Dr. Michael Mosley have confirmed his body has been found on a Greek island. Mosley’s wife said Sunday in a statement that her husband had gone for a hike and took the wrong route and collapsed in a place where his body couldn’t easily be seen. (AP Photo/Panormitis Chatzigiannakis)

A view of an ambulance and a fire brigade van are on a beachfront of Symi island, Greece, Sunday, June 9, 2024. Police said that a body believed to be that of missing British TV presenter Michael Mosley was found on a Greek island Sunday morning. (AP Photo/Antonis Mystiloglou)

Greek Fire brigade personnel walk on a beachfront of Symi island, Greece Sunday, June 9, 2024. Police said that a body believed to be that of missing British TV presenter Michael Mosley was found on a Greek island Sunday morning. (AP Photo/Antonis Mystiloglou)

A general view of the area where the body of missing British TV presenter Michael Mosley was found, Sunday, June 9, 2024. The family of missing British TV presenter Dr. Michael Mosley have confirmed his body has been found on a Greek island. Mosley’s wife said Sunday in a statement that her husband had gone for a hike and took the wrong route and collapsed in a place where his body couldn’t easily be seen. (AP Photo/Panormitis Chatzigiannakis)

The body of British TV presenter Michael Mosley is carried from the spot where was found, Sunday, June 9, 2024. The family of missing British TV presenter Dr. Michael Mosley have confirmed his body has been found on a Greek island. Mosley’s wife said Sunday in a statement that her husband had gone for a hike and took the wrong route and collapsed in a place where his body couldn’t easily be seen. (AP Photo/Panormitis Chatzigiannakis)

Firemen and policemen stand around the body of missing British TV presenter Michael Mosley on the island of Symi, Sunday, June 9, 2024. The family of missing British TV presenter Dr. Michael Mosley have confirmed his body has been found on a Greek island. Mosley’s wife said Sunday in a statement that her husband had gone for a hike and took the wrong route and collapsed in a place where his body couldn’t easily be seen. (AP Photo/Panormitis Chatzigiannakis)

In this undated photo provided by the BBC on Sunday, June 9, 2024, doctor and broadcaster Michael Mosley speaks on Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg. Police said that a body believed to be that of missing British TV presenter Michael Mosley was found on a Greek island Sunday morning. A police spokesman, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of an ongoing investigation, said the body was found on a rocky coast by a private boat and that formal identification was pending. (Jeff Overs/BBC via AP)

In this undated photo provided by the BBC on Sunday, June 9, 2024, doctor and broadcaster Michael Mosley speaks on Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg. Police said that a body believed to be that of missing British TV presenter Michael Mosley was found on a Greek island Sunday morning. A police spokesman, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of an ongoing investigation, said the body was found on a rocky coast by a private boat and that formal identification was pending. (Jeff Overs/BBC via AP)

The small village of Pedi, where some reports indicate missing British doctor and TV presenter Michael Mosley was sighted, is seen on the southeastern Aegean Sea island of Symi, Greece, Friday, June, 7, 2024. Mosley went missing on Wednesday afternoon while on vacation on Symi, and authorities said a search and rescue operation that continued on Friday had found no trace of him. (AP Photo/Antonis Mystiloglou)

People sit on the beach of Agios Nikolaos from where British doctor and television presenter Michael Mosley, is believed to have set out, on the southeastern Aegean Sea island of Symi, Greece, Friday, June 7, 2024. Greek police say an ongoing major search and rescue operation on the small eastern Aegean island of Symi has still not located British doctor and television presenter Michael Mosley, who went missing on Wednesday afternoon after reportedly going for a walk. (AP Photo/Antonis Mystiloglou)

People sit on the beach of Agios Nikolaos from where British doctor and television presenter Michael Mosley, is believed to have set out, on the southeastern Aegean Sea island of Symi, Greece, Friday, June 7, 2024. Greek police say an ongoing major search and rescue operation on the small eastern Aegean island of Symi has still not located British doctor and television presenter Michael Mosley, who went missing on Wednesday afternoon after reportedly going for a walk. (AP Photo/Antonis Mystiloglou)

NEW YORK (AP) — The World Cup, a 48-team, 104-match behemoth kicking off next week across 16 cities in the United States, Mexico and Canada, presents an unprecedented security challenge, with more countries, games and a larger footprint than ever before.

It also comes against the backdrop of the U.S. and Israel’s war with Iran, mounting political violence in President Donald Trump's orbit and growing fears of artificial intelligence-fueled disruptions, creating a complex threat environment for authorities.

Overseeing the sprawling security apparatus is a legion of federal agencies, state and local police departments and private entities. Their responsibilities range from securing stadiums and fan zones to escorting teams and protecting dignitaries.

Their tools include hunter drones that can shoot nets over objects in restricted airspace, bag-inspecting robot dogs, giant X-ray trucks and thousands of AI-powered cameras trained on public spaces soon to be thronged by fans.

In the U.S., it’s “78 Super Bowls over 39 days,” said Andrew Giuliani, executive director of Trump’s World Cup task force, which is overseeing the multiagency effort.

“There’s never been a summer like this in American history from a security angle,” said Giuliani, son of former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani.

“We’re as prepared as we can be.”

The tournament has the same high-level federal security designation as the Super Bowl, just below a presidential inauguration or a national political convention, ensuring federal, state and local coordination. It coincides with other major events linked to the 250th anniversary of America's founding.

So far, Giuliani said, there are no credible threats.

The Department of Homeland Security, focused on Trump’s immigration enforcement crackdown and hit by a funding lapse only recently resolved, estimates up 7 million people will visit the U.S. for the World Cup.

The U.S. Secret Service, under scrutiny after security breaches and attempts on Trump’s life, is in charge of protecting world leaders who show up to cheer on their countries. Trump has expressed interest in attending a match.

“I feel very comfortable where we’re at, and we feel like we have a zero-fail mission,” Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin told Congress this week, noting that the Secret Service was understaffed by about 860 agents. “But it’s going to be complicated.”

Officials have indicated they are confident they can keep Trump safe because they will be integrating his usual security into the robust World Cup plan on days he may watch a match.

The FBI has spent two years developing its security plan, incorporating lessons from other major events such as the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and New Year’s Eve ball drop in New York and testing them at smaller ones, including last week’s Israel Day parade in the city.

"We prepare for the worst day,” FBI Special Agent in Charge Amit Kachhia-Patel in New York told The Associated Press. “And that’s how we go into any single event."

To help cover security costs, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has distributed $625 million to the 11 U.S. host cities. An additional $250 million is being directed toward tracking and neutralizing suspect drones.

The disbursement of those funds was held up by the department's funding delay, which the Republican administration has argued hindered security planning.

Others involved in the planning effort said the federal government could have played a more hands-on role even before the shutdown.

John Cohen, a former senior DHS official who has been briefing state leaders before the matches, said the government was largely absent from planning meetings last year and did not begin sharing threat intelligence with host regions until recently.

“With an event of this magnitude, one would expect the federal government would’ve played a more active role,” Cohen said. “It felt like a missed opportunity to showcase that collaboration.”

In January, thousands of officials involved in World Cup security gathered for exercises simulating crowd surges, vehicle attacks and mass shootings.

A month later, the U.S. and Israel launched a war with Iran.

“The security picture fundamentally changed,” said Stefano Ritondale, chief intelligence officer at Artorias, a defense intelligence company not involved in the security preparations. “There’s a major difference in preparing for a lone wolf radical who rams his car into a public place and a terrorist who is bankrolled by a foreign country we’re at war with.”

Among the greatest concerns are drones.

Since the last World Cup in Qatar in 2022, drones have become a prominent weapon in conflicts including Russia’s war in Ukraine and Hamas’ attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.

“If there is one threat that keeps me up at night, it is from drones,” said New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch, whose department is partnering with the FBI on drone mitigation.

Drones are prohibited over stadiums and fan zones, and Kachhia-Patel said the FBI has a “full suite of options” to thwart incursions. They include agents monitoring the sky and a “variety of means” to safely down the devices, he said without elaborating.

Before this year’s World Cup, the growing sophistication of AI videos was a particular concern, with officials warning that state actors can harness the technology to sow misinformation and panic.

On match days, the FBI will activate joint operations centers in each host city, bringing together local, state and federal law enforcement agencies to monitor and investigate threats.

“If there’s a video that shows an explosion going off at a site, and it’s AI generated, we have people on the ground who can validate whether or not that’s true,” said Kachhia-Patel.

Some AI companies have pitched themselves to police departments in host cities, promising to comb through data and surveillance on game days to prevent threats, including unruly fan behavior.

“We know sports fanaticism around here in terms of the NFL and baseball to some extent, but nothing like international soccer,” said Jake Becchina, a police spokesperson in Kansas City, Missouri, which is hosting six matches.

The department has contracted with Peregrine Technologies, which promises to sift through police data and publicly available information such as team practice locations and the country affiliation of popular bars, to get ahead of possible conflict.

In Dallas, a recent $120 million tech upgrade will give local police body cameras capable of real-time translations, helping law enforcement communicate with international visitors soon to descend on the region.

Several drone detection and mitigation companies are joining efforts to help federal agencies secure the skies.

One of those companies, Fortem, has claimed to have signed a multimillion-dollar contract with DHS before the World Cup for an unusual drone mitigation strategy: quadcopters that can shoot nets at encroaching drones to trap them in midair. A spokesperson for DHS declined to discuss the contract.

Just as the teams will aim to perform their best on the pitch, Giuliani said the security planning was a unique chance to “show off American exceptionalism."

“If we do our job right,” Giuliani added, “nobody will be talking about security at the World Cup.”

Santana reported from Washington. Associated Press writer Alanna Durkin Richer in Washington contributed to this report.

Rows of desks fill the FBI's Joint Operations Center in New York, Thursday, June 4, 2026, ahead of the World Cup soccer tournament. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

FBI Special Agent in Charge Amit Kachhia-Patel, Mission Services Division, is interviewed in the agency's Joint Operations Center, in New York, Thursday, June 4, 2026, ahead of the World Cup soccer tournament. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

FBI Special Agent in Charge Amit Kachhia-Patel, Mission Services Division, walks through a portion of the agency's Joint Operations Center in New York, Thursday, June 4, 2026, ahead of the World Cup soccer tournament. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

Temporary fencing with FIFA World Cup 2026 signage is set up outside SoFi Stadium, Friday, June 5, 2026, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Andrew Giuliani, head of the White House FIFA World Cup 2026 task force, shakes hands with journalists following a press briefing on World Cup security, Thursday, June 4, 2026, in Miami. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

AT&T Stadium, where upcoming World Cup soccer matches are scheduled to be played, has its name covered by three gray tarps Monday, June 1, 2026, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Andrew Giuliani, head of the White House FIFA World Cup task force, speaks at a news briefing about World Cup security, Thursday, June 4, 2026, in Miami. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)