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

[Dotta]

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.

Re "people laughing at him"

BEFORE
ppl realized the wife "suffered from possible MH problems"

I see this situation as ribald banter of sorts.
Men like poking fun at guys "having trouble with wives".
Something like,
"oh wait,
your lady left you??? hehe,
You lost your wife mate??? haha".

Especially in relaxing holiday surroundings.
While in relaxed mood.

Knowing Greeks,
they always find something to chuckle about.

BUT,
when they realized the situation was SERIOUS,
they helped him as much as they could.

This is MY OPINION.

I was sometimes being laughed at too in Greece
(when I did or said something silly)
but in a funny, humorous way.
Never offensive.
And I too chuckled with them.

I honestly think this opinion about "being laughed at"
was taken out of context here.

Greeks are lovely people.

JMO

 

[otto]

Re "people laughing at him"

BEFORE
ppl realized the wife "suffered from possible MH problems"

I see this situation as ribald banter of sorts.
Men like poking fun at guys "having trouble with wives".
Something like,
"oh wait,
your lady left you??? hehe,
You lost your wife mate??? haha".

Especially in relaxing holiday surroundings.
While in relaxed mood.

Knowing Greeks,
they always find something to chuckle about.

BUT,
when they realized the situation was SERIOUS,
they helped him as much as they could.

This is MY OPINION.

I was sometimes being laughed at too in Greece
(when I did or said something silly)
but in a funny, humorous way.
Never offensive.
And I too chuckled with them.

I honestly think this opinion about "being laughed at"
was taken out of context here.

Greeks are lovely people.

JMO

The husband, who described the response to his fears about his wife as laughter, is Greek. If he could see humour in it, he would not have mentioned it.

 

[Inthedetails]

The husband, who described the response to his fears about his wife as laughter, is Greek. If he could see humour in it, he would not have mentioned it.

I agree. He seems hurt and abandoned by people he expected to help.

jmopinion

 

[Dotta]

I noticed,
following some missing abroad persons' cases here on WS
(Jay S., Greg M. - a guy lost in Portugal and some more)
that locals, especially foreign Police,
are bad mouthed in Media.

And it always got on my nerves.

IDK,
maybe they are the cases of "cultural differences"?

JMO

 

[JennieM]

I noticed,
following some missing abroad persons cases here on WS
(J. Slater, a guy lost in Portugal)
that locals, esp.foreign Police, are bad mouthed in Media.

And it always got on my nerves.

IDK, maybe it is the case of "cultural differences".

JMO

He is saying the police did not help him, and he is Greek himself. I think he’s telling the truth.

From my post #257
Mr Bourda said that he did not see a single police officer on the beach they day she went missing - a claim that was echoed by a fellow hotel guest.

 

[Inthedetails]

I noticed,
following some missing abroad persons' cases here on WS
(Jay S., Greg M. - a guy lost in Portugal and some more)
that locals, especially foreign Police,
are bad mouthed in Media.

And it always got on my nerves.

IDK,
maybe they are the cases of "cultural differences"?

JMO

The husband in this case is Greek himself. jmo

 

[TootsieFootsie]

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

THE Brit husband of a missing woman in Greece has told how he was laughed at as he begged for help after waking up to find his wife had disappeared. Chris Bourda, 66, claims he woke up on a sun lou…

www.thesun.co.uk

He also told how cops have assured him that his wife is alive.
"I wonder if they have told me she is alive so other tourists don't get scared," he said.

He continued: "I asked the police if they think that she is alive, why don't they use dogs, drones, helicopters and they replied where shall we search? It's a vast area?

 

[Observe_dont_Absorb]

Good grief! What is going on?

I believed the sports instructor, but he retracked?

jmopinion

Some people don't want to get involved with law enforcement and making statements that they can be scrutinised over, end up having to go back and forth to law courts for inquests or inquiries, etc.

Sounds callous to withdraw but it can get really overwhelming. If / when one realises that the weight of your idea is being used as the main explanation, it can start to make you second guess yourself and have doubts and then don't feel so certain any longer. If one was absolutely certain, that would be different but of course the question arises 'how do you know it was 100% her and not someone who looked like her?' ... you don't.

Sometimes LE are not the easiest and most reasonable people to deal with and when the doubts set in and the possible insignificance of what one saw (in terms of absolute proof) comes into perspective, then you think oh well I'm removing myself from this situation.

JMO MOO

 

[JennieM]

Some people don't want to get involved with law enforcement and making statements that they can be scrutinised over, end up having to go back and forth to law courts for inquests or inquiries, etc.

Sounds callous to withdraw but it can get really overwhelming. If / when one realises that the weight of your idea is being used as the main explanation, it can start to make you second guess yourself and have doubts and then don't feel so certain any longer. If one was absolutely certain, that would be different but of course the question arises 'how do you know it was 100% her and not someone who looked like her?' ... you don't.

Sometimes LE are not the easiest and most reasonable people to deal with and when the doubts set in and the possible insignificance of what one saw (in terms of absolute proof) comes into perspective, then you think oh well I'm removing myself from this situation.

JMO MOO

Great explanation @Observe_dont_Absorb!

 

[Inthedetails]

Some people don't want to get involved with law enforcement and making statements that they can be scrutinised over, end up having to go back and forth to law courts for inquests or inquiries, etc.

Sounds callous to withdraw but it can get really overwhelming. If / when one realises that the weight of your idea is being used as the main explanation, it can start to make you second guess yourself and have doubts and then don't feel so certain any longer. If one was absolutely certain, that would be different but of course the question arises 'how do you know it was 100% her and not someone who looked like her?' ... you don't.

Sometimes LE are not the easiest and most reasonable people to deal with and when the doubts set in and the possible insignificance of what one saw (in terms of absolute proof) comes into perspective, then you think oh well I'm removing myself from this situation.

JMO MOO

I think what happened with the swim instructor is another woman came forward, not Michele, and said, "That was me - you talked to me out in the water, not Michele." He might have thought he spoke to Michele but it turned it not to be her. imo

Just a hunch.

jmopinion

 

[Plod]

Some people don't want to get involved with law enforcement and making statements that they can be scrutinised over, end up having to go back and forth to law courts for inquests or inquiries, etc.

Sounds callous to withdraw but it can get really overwhelming. If / when one realises that the weight of your idea is being used as the main explanation, it can start to make you second guess yourself and have doubts and then don't feel so certain any longer. If one was absolutely certain, that would be different but of course the question arises 'how do you know it was 100% her and not someone who looked like her?' ... you don't.

Sometimes LE are not the easiest and most reasonable people to deal with and when the doubts set in and the possible insignificance of what one saw (in terms of absolute proof) comes into perspective, then you think oh well I'm removing myself from this situation.

JMO MOO

Yeah good point @Observe_dont_Absorb Thinking of other missing persons cases where someone was the first person to offer help and end up being a suspect/intentions misunderstood/accused later of being present and samples from scene were hindered. (thinking of M McCann case.) (like when someone offers help, and leaves DNA at scene, and then LE think that person could be a suspect.) ALso, I imagine there are hundreds of beaches like this in Greece, and they're not all going to have LE or lifeguards around, some don't have a cafe. Also the case owner "laughing" maybe was misinterpreted by the distraught husband. I still believe she's drowned - she cant walk very far on stony ground without shoes.

 

[Observe_dont_Absorb]

Unless... the laughing unhelpful cafe owner has got something to hide? I assume he's been scrutinised and cleared of any possible link ?

 

[Plod]

Unless... the laughing unhelpful cafe owner has got something to hide? I assume he's been scrutinised and cleared of any possible link ?

One thought i had was she asked cafe owner for assistance to hide... I mean if they are regulars at the beach, did they know each other at all?

 

[MesquiteO21]

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

I always thought in cultures that do that it is for sons/daughters and not women who marry into the name but that’s interesting to know

Moo

 

[MsMiniSleuth]

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

THE Brit husband of a missing woman in Greece has told how he was laughed at as he begged for help after waking up to find his wife had disappeared. Chris Bourda, 66, claims he woke up on a sun lou…

www.thesun.co.uk

He also told how cops have assured him that his wife is alive.
"I wonder if they have told me she is alive so other tourists don't get scared," he said.

He continued: "I asked the police if they think that she is alive, why don't they use dogs, drones, helicopters and they replied where shall we search? It's a vast area?

I don't know how police can possibly 'assure him his wife is alive', unless they know something others don't. It is now 8 days since she was last seen and no one can confirm any sighting post the late morning/early afternoon of 1 Aug. Given the circumstances (left all belongings), her health, the weather, I think this is a recovery operation.

 

[Dotta]

"Michele Ann Joy Bourda, 59, ​

has now been missing for 10 days" ​

https://twitter.com/x/status/1954837187704275068

 

[Smccat]

It's gone very quiet.

 

[TootsieFootsie]

All we know 10 days after Brit tourist vanished in front of sleeping husband

Michele Ann Joy Bourda, 59, has now been missing for 10 days - here's everything we know about her disappearance in Greece, including the last reported sightings

www.mirror.co.uk

11th August 2025

Michele Bourda: Everything we know 10 days after Brit vanished from Greek sunbed​

 

[Plod]

As the days go on, it's looking less likely she's alive. She has nothing with her, including shoes. I'm sure the police questioned any one who could have possibility helped her out of the area. (which i dont believe) She required medication - 10 days without it is a bit drastic.

 

[Kittypoo]

It's gone very quiet.

Still quiet and can’t see any updates