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

[Plod]

why is his name listed as 'Bourdas' but hers as 'Bourda'?

MOO

Greek surnames - male version ends in-as, the female equivalent is -a

 

[Plod]

Yes, the ocean seems the likely place. But, given the heat, could she have succumbed on an impromptu hike or walk? Perhaps she intended to return, but fell or got lost and then suffered from the heat.

jmopinion

But did she have shoes? The reports say she left her stuff, and i thought i read that included shoes?

 

[MesquiteO21]

Greek surnames - male version ends in-as, the female equivalent is -a

ah thank you i did not know that!

 

[Inthedetails]

But did she have shoes? The reports say she left her stuff, and i thought i read that included shoes?

Then the sea seems to remain the likely culprit.

jmo

 

[Sarahlou]

The ocean definitely seems the most likely place to me too. I think when she saw her husband was asleep she took the chance to take off because she didn't want him to see where she went. Didn't want him to raise the alarm too quickly.

 

[TootsieFootsie]

Except for a source or sources said to have seen her walking away from the beach.
And yes I have come to believe that her water shoes or beach shoes can't be the only shoes she had with her.

I hope it won't end up like what happened to Michael Mosley.

 

[MelmothTheLost]

why is his name listed as 'Bourdas' but hers as 'Bourda'?

MOO

I suspect it will be due to Greek grammar relating to names, in a similar way to Russian/Slavic names ending in -ov (masculine) and -ova (feminine).

 

[Dotta]

I suspect it will be due to Greek grammar relating to names, in a similar way to Russian/Slavic names ending in -ov (masculine) and -ova (feminine).

Yep.
Feminine & masculine forms of surnames.
Mrs Kowalska
Mr Kowalski
in my Slavic - Polish - language

 

[JennieM]

Except for a source or sources said to have seen her walking away from the beach.
And yes I have come to believe that her water shoes or beach shoes can't be the only shoes she had with her.

I hope it won't end up like what happened to Michael Mosley.

Without shoes, she wouldn’t go far. So she either had shoes and wandered off or she didn’t go far but fell in somewhere and got stuck. MOO she is in the sea and her husband is not suspicious, shame the police didn’t help him.

 

[TootsieFootsie]

Husband of missing Brit mum in Greece was laughed at as he begged for help

Chris Bourda woke to find his wife Michele Ann Joy Bourda had vanished from the sunbed beside him on the beach in Kavala, Greece, on Friday - and he's now very worried

www.mirror.co.uk

Quote from her husband.

She has no shoes, clothes, money, glasses or medication. She must be hiding somewhere... Tomorrow it will be a whole week since she went missing and I think surely someone will have helped her with food or water."

 

[JennieM]

Husband of missing Brit mum in Greece was laughed at as he begged for help

Chris Bourda woke to find his wife Michele Ann Joy Bourda had vanished from the sunbed beside him on the beach in Kavala, Greece, on Friday - and he's now very worried

www.mirror.co.uk

Quote from her husband.

She has no shoes, clothes, money, glasses or medication. She must be hiding somewhere... Tomorrow it will be a whole week since she went missing and I think surely someone will have helped her with food or water."

Hmm

 

[musicaljoke]

The ocean definitely seems the most likely place to me too. I think when she saw her husband was asleep she took the chance to take off because she didn't want him to see where she went. Didn't want him to raise the alarm too quickly.

Where would or could she go?

 

[JennieM]

me just saying I don’t think the husband is suspicious and @TootsieFootsie messaging the most suspicious statement from him!

 

[musicaljoke]

Husband of missing Brit mum in Greece was laughed at as he begged for help

Chris Bourda woke to find his wife Michele Ann Joy Bourda had vanished from the sunbed beside him on the beach in Kavala, Greece, on Friday - and he's now very worried

www.mirror.co.uk

Quote from her husband.

She has no shoes, clothes, money, glasses or medication. She must be hiding somewhere... Tomorrow it will be a whole week since she went missing and I think surely someone will have helped her with food or water."

Oh dear. I fear this may be just hope triumphing over despair.

 

[JennieM]

I read his quote and he is saying “if she is alive as they say”… So he is saying that the only way she can be alive as they say is if someone has helped her or is hiding her.

 

[TootsieFootsie]

As so much time has gone by I think he's likely hoping against hope that it will be like London and she'll be found.

 

[TootsieFootsie]

I think he means without any money if she is alive someone would have had to help her.

 

[Alyce]

why is his name listed as 'Bourdas' but hers as 'Bourda'?

MOO

Quite normal with Greek surnames, the A ending is the female version.

 

[TootsieFootsie]

It is interesting him saying that she has no shoes.
That leans more to her having gotten in trouble in the water

 

[otto]

It is interesting him saying that she has no shoes.
That leans more to her having gotten in trouble in the water

Michele's disappearance reminds me of this woman. In that case, she disappeared around Christmas time. She had spent a lifetime ensuring happy holidays for family, including 3 children. That year, she was separated from her husband and her children were all busy. She was severely depressed.

In the cold snowy Winter, she walked roughly a mile, stepped into the icy Bow River, and vanished. She chose water for suicide, and made sure that she could not change her mind. Once in the water, the current, cold and ice would have incapacitated her within minutes.

Michele is described as a strong swimmer in cold water, fit, active and healthy. She is also described as suffering from depression. It's possible she made a choice of suicide by water by simply swimming away from shore, and not turning back. Leaving her clothes behind is an strong clue that she went into the water.

Her husband sounds devastated, and very upset that no one would help him. News reported that many boats were used to search for her, then we read that the boats were searching at night and in the early morning hours (to avoid alarming tourists). No one will find a body searching water at night with a couple of spot lights.

People laughed at him when he said that his wife was missing. Police didn't show up for 2 hours. Land searches were limited to one police officer driving along the road looking from side to side. Her husband must have been going out of his mind by the time he contacted the British Embassy for assistance.