Found Deceased Michele Ann Joy Bourda, 59, British tourist, suddenly disappeared from Ofrynio beach in Kavala, Greece, 1 Aug 2025

[FromGermany1]

They live an hour's drive away. I presume they came in their vehicle. Where would she go for more than an hour or two if it's just the two of you at the beach? This isn't a metropolitan area. Would you wait 7 hours to report your spouse missing in those circumstances? Wouldn't you run around on the beach asking anyone you could find if they had seen her? And after a frantic immediate search wouldn't you call police?

Unless... she had a drinking or gambling problem as was know to have disappeared for hours at a time. Are there any casinos or many bars nearby? It seems it would be easy to search them in this particular area.

And if she had any health or mental issues then you would be all over it right away. Wouldn't you?

Their "own" beach in Macedonia seems to be also circa 1 hour's drive away from home. IF Alzheimer/Dementia is at play, I wonder, why the husband didn't prefer their beach in their country. To each his own, of course, but for Michele the Kavala beach wouldn't have been a place to enjoy more than the Serres beach probably.

 

[Twistinginthewind]

I've seen a few newspaper articles of other cases describing someone who is 50 as being elderly.
It was awhile ago though.

Yes, good point, @TootsieFootsie!

Wading through questions on what a Silver Alert means, not sure what it means in Greece where Michele disappeared.

Here in the US, the Silver Alert is a tool for LE to elevate an investigation quickly for someone over the age of 50 years old.

Irregardless of their cognitive issues being older, it's just their age at issue.

Not sure why, and hope it's a miscommumication, as to why dememtia is being brought up, since Michele is 59 years old.

But I'll sit on my hat & mea culpa if the Grecian definition for a Silver Alert doesn't just refer to the missing person's age alone.

MOO

 

[Smccat]

Macedonia is in northern Greece. It’s North Macedonia, now and also known as Macedonia too that’s a separate country.

Confusingly, Greece has a Northern Macedonia of its own also.

Eta: I didn’t know this myself until yesterday when it confused me too. I hope I’ve interpreted it right.

 

[detective.moon]

we should have a wrbs

Macedonia is in northern Greece. It’s North Macedonia, now and also known as Macedonia too that’s a separate country.

Confusingly, Greece has a Northern Macedonia of its own also.

Eta: I didn’t know this myself until yesterday when it confused me too. I hope I’ve interpreted it right.

yep! macedonia has been a region for a long time, the region is spread across different countries. mainly the country we now call north macedonia, and greece.

there have been years of arguments between north macedonia (the country) and greece about how north macedonia should call itself!

but anyway, the missing woman and her husband live in the macedonia region in greece

 

[TootsieFootsie]

I've seen a few channels on Youtube of people who have early onset dementia, the youngest is 45 but there are cases of children having childhood dementia as well.

My thinking is that there must be a reason they're saying her life is in danger, a reason the public doesn't know yet.

It's the first time I've heard LE say that without there actually being a reason to think that.

 

[Hexe]

Their "own" beach in Macedonia seems to be also circa 1 hour's drive away from home. IF Alzheimer/Dementia is at play, I wonder, why the husband didn't prefer their beach in their country.

I see we have some geographical confusion here. Serres lies in Greek province of Macedonia, not in the country of the same name.

 

[Dotta]

"Possible sighting ​

of missing Brit who vanished from sunbed on Greek beach while husband slept ​

is revealed ​

- as witness describes final action he saw her take and warning he gave her."​

https://twitter.com/x/status/1952654546255192529

 

[Skigh]

For people without X:

Possible sighting of missing Brit who vanished on Greek beach

Michele Ann Joy Bourda, 59, had been swimming at Ofrynio beach in the city of Kavala at around noon on Friday before disappearing.

www.dailymail.co.uk

A sports instructor has now claimed that he saw a woman that resembled Mrs Bourda swimming in deep waters and said that he urged her to not go any further, LBC reports.

Sources have also claimed that her belongings were left behind next to her sun-lounger after she vanished.

A Silver Alert was issued after the police failed to immediately locate the tourist and authorities have warned that she may be in danger.

A source close to the investigation told The Sun: 'We are giving it our all. There are still no signs as to whether she went missing on land or sea but right now there are no plans either to end this search.'

 

[Dotta]

Surely
"seen getting into deep water and being told to not go any further"
should have been the earliest theory of disappearance?

It is summer in full swing,
and, unfortunately, drownings during this season
are more common than other reasons of disappearances.

Deep sea waters are treacherous.

JMO

 

[miss marble]

This would seem important as it is the first report of any eyewitnesses potentially seeing Michele on the beach.
Unfortunately the article is very vague and there is no name nor direct quote attributed to the 'sports instructor', it just says 'LBC reports'.
I can't find anymore information by googling LBC websites either, unless I'm missing something.

 

[TootsieFootsie]

Maybe the husband last saw her on the sunbed, and she decided to go for a swim without waking him.
She was said to have been wearing footwear though.

Would you swim in footwear or wear sunglasses. Or was it just glasses.
Those items don't seem to be part of her belongings she left behind.

Those are items that it was said she was last wearing.

 

[Dotta]

Would you swim in footwear or wear sunglasses. Or was it just glasses.
Those items don't seem to be part of her belongings she left behind.

Those are items that it was said she was last wearing.

Re footwear

When swimming in the sea
I always wear special "swimming shoes" because I'm afraid to wound my feet on sharp stones.
Such footwear is light (nylon) with rubber soles.
They are called "beach shoes".

PS
And I noticed
some people wear goggles to protect eyes from splashing salt water into eyes.

So...
It might cover glasses & shoes in this case.

JMO

 

[jackal67]

Re footwear

When swimming in the sea
I always wear special "swimming shoes" because I'm afraid to wound my feet on sharp stones.
Such footwear is light (nylon) with rubber soles.
They are called "beach shoes".

PS
And I noticed
some people wear goggles to protect eyes from splashing salt water into eyes.

So...
It might cover glasses & shoes in this case.

JMO

Me too and I often keep my sunglasses on and even a hat

 

[Dotta]

Me too and I often keep my sunglasses on and even a hat

Me too!!!!

 

[Officer Dibble]

In Europe, yes, the sunbeds are usually on sand. The beach seems to be in a populated area so there would be many people around. Burying a body in such a location would be something that would definitely stand out.

I have no idea how busy that beach is.

 

[Officer Dibble]

"Possible sighting ​

of missing Brit who vanished from sunbed on Greek beach while husband slept ​

is revealed ​

- as witness describes final action he saw her take and warning he gave her."​

https://twitter.com/x/status/1952654546255192529

So he warned her in deep waters not to go any further according to this article. He must have been there at the time. Did he watch to see if she did go further? So many questions. JMO
Edited to add: I fear this is going to turn out to be a tragic accidental case, if the article is true. How sad. JMO

 

[TootsieFootsie]

I don't think if you wanted to have a real swim, you'd leave your hat on and your sunglasses, but that's just me.

If you just wanted to have a little walk in the water, and a tiny paddle, maybe.
Perhaps that's what some people call going for a swim.

 

[TootsieFootsie]

I hadn't thought about stones in the water.

The beaches here are just sand, most of the ones where people swim anyway.

 

[detective.moon]

Were the sunbeds on sand? Was anyone else on the beach at the time? Is there any possibility she is below ground? Far fetched I realise but just trying to think outside the box. JMO MOO

in italy something like this actually happened this summer a teenager was digging a hole - he was trying to make a tunnel iirc. when his father woke up from a nap his son was nowhere to be found. it turned out he hole/tunnel had collapsed and he was buried beneath the sand, and it was already too late.

17-Year-Old Boy Dies After Digging 5-Foot Hole on Beach and Being Buried Alive: Reports

A 17-year-old boy died after the hole he dug on a beach in Italy collapsed on top of him on Thursday, July 10: His father had been sleeping on the beach at the time and his younger siblings had gone to play on the shore

people.com

i don’t think i have ever seen a woman in her 50s digging holes by herself on the beach and i absolutely don’t believe this has happened to her! i was just reminded of this case that did actually happen

 

[Carovb5]

For people without X:

Possible sighting of missing Brit who vanished on Greek beach

Michele Ann Joy Bourda, 59, had been swimming at Ofrynio beach in the city of Kavala at around noon on Friday before disappearing.

www.dailymail.co.uk

A sports instructor has now claimed that he saw a woman that resembled Mrs Bourda swimming in deep waters and said that he urged her to not go any further, LBC reports.

Sources have also claimed that her belongings were left behind next to her sun-lounger after she vanished.

A Silver Alert was issued after the police failed to immediately locate the tourist and authorities have warned that she may be in danger.

A source close to the investigation told The Sun: 'We are giving it our all. There are still no signs as to whether she went missing on land or sea but right now there are no plans either to end this search.'

That has a second picture of her.