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

[Sarahlou]

Still quiet and can’t see any updates

To be completely blunt, they are probably just waiting for her body to be found. I doubt we'll hear much more until that happens.

 

[annpats]

To be completely blunt, they are probably just waiting for her body to be found. I doubt we'll hear much more until that happens.

IF it happens.
And I hope her body does wash up somewhere. It'll be closure and also put an end to any other speculation and theory.

 

[Dotta]

"It's been two weeks
since Michele Ann Joy Bourda
vanished from her sun lounger
while holidaying in the city of Kavala, Greece.

The 59-year-old's whereabouts remain a mystery,
and investigators continue to pore over clues as to what could have happened."

https://twitter.com/x/status/1956410561039609878

 

[TootsieFootsie]

Police face warning as mystery of Brit woman who vanished from sunbed deepens

British woman Michele Ann Joy Bourda was last seen over a fortnight ago on a sunbed on a Greek beach, with her belongings still there when she went missing

www.mirror.co.uk

As the search continues into its third week, Charlie Hedges MBE, who is acknowledged as one of the UK's foremost experts on missing persons, explained that the longer someone is missing, the less likely they are to be found alive.

This is tempered by the circumstances of the disappearance, their personal circumstances and medical history, and what has happened to them," he told The Mirror.

"Without more detailed knowledge of the circumstances it is very hard to say what may have happened and whether or not she is alive."

The former police sergeant explained that Greek authorities should be conducting a thorough investigation into what may have caused her to go missing, including her medical history, her relationship with her husband, anything that may have happened to her while she was away, and whether there any reasons for her to want to disappear.

"From this, they should be able to assess whether this is likely to be an accident, any third party involvement or a conscious act on her part."

 

[BaiHu]

I know this thread’s been quiet for a while, but I just came across the case and made an account since I’m from Glasgow. Surprised it’s been a month and barely anyone’s talking about it. Where’s her son? He’s mid-30s, right? If it were my mum or wife, I’d be making noise every day. The silence feels strange.

The husband seems to have tried hard, but why didn’t people nearby notice anything? And why so many conflicting (and retracted) reports about her walking, swimming, different clothes? If she went too far out, surely someone would have seen it. What also stands out is how he said there wasn’t much of a search, yet multiple reports confirm the Coast Guard, police, and even fishing boats were involved in a large operation.

Bodies usually wash up in days or weeks. After 30 days and nothing, either she never went into the water, or she was carried offshore quickly and lost.

This case feels way too quiet. Curious what everyone else here thinks, 30 days on.

Justwondering: Her belongings were left, so I assume they’d check her phone to see any hint of planning or if someone’s helping her?

 

[Smccat]

I know this thread’s been quiet for a while, but I just came across the case and made an account since I’m from Glasgow. Surprised it’s been a month and barely anyone’s talking about it. Where’s her son? He’s mid-30s, right? If it were my mum or wife, I’d be making noise every day. The silence feels strange.

The husband seems to have tried hard, but why didn’t people nearby notice anything? And why so many conflicting (and retracted) reports about her walking, swimming, different clothes? If she went too far out, surely someone would have seen it. What also stands out is how he said there wasn’t much of a search, yet multiple reports confirm the Coast Guard, police, and even fishing boats were involved in a large operation.

Bodies usually wash up in days or weeks. After 30 days and nothing, either she never went into the water, or she was carried offshore quickly and lost.

This case feels way too quiet. Curious what everyone else here thinks, 30 days on.

Justwondering: Her belongings were left, so I assume they’d check her phone to see any hint of planning or if someone’s helping her?

Hey welcome to our little corner of the internet. Everything you say .. we all went there and were all so deeply concerned for Michele but, as you say, it just went crickets quite quickly and then to silence. So sad.

This situation never had the hallmarks of a mother and wife who just vanished. But, alas, there are likely many aspects to consider which we just won’t ever know.

 

[ch_13]

It does look like this will be one of those cases where we never know what really happened.

I do want to comment on this statement though...

And why so many conflicting (and retracted) reports about her walking, swimming, different clothes? If she went too far out, surely someone would have seen it.

Conflicting and confused witness reports are pretty much par for the course in an investigation. Someone is asked, "Did you see a dark-haired, middle-aged English lady on the beach?" And of course there will be a lot of different reports, some of which may be describing a completely different person who happened to be nearby. In crime dramas, the eyewitnesses are amazingly accurate (e.g., "Her makeup was smeared. She was wearing a blue striped t-shirt and adidas sneakers with a red stain on the right toe"), but in real life that's rarely true.

As far as noticing that she was too far out, there was a report of a "fitness instructor" who said he saw her out there and warned her about being that far from shore, but again it's not clear if that was even the same person.

If you're on the beach and see someone bobbing in the waves, you may not necessarily mark them as being in any kind of trouble. You turn your head and when you look back they're no longer there. Did they go under, or did they just swim to another spot? It's not something that would necessarily lead you to raise as an alarm, or even pay much attention to it on a crowded beach.


Edit - You know, yesterday I went to a real estate open house and spoke to the agent for several minutes. I could tell you everything she told me about the home. But if the police knocked on my door today and said she's missing and I'm the last person to see her alive, could I describe what she looked like and what she was wearing? I don't think I could. I'm pretty sure she had glasses, dark hair and was wearing a dress, but I'm not even 100% sure about that. Hairstyle, clothing colors, etc...I have no idea.

It's an interesting exercise. Think about someone you saw a few hours ago but didn't particularly pay any attention to at the time, like a store clerk or a waiter, and try to describe them. Most of us would be pretty bad at it.

 

[Plod]

It does look like this will be one of those cases where we never know what really happened.

I do want to comment on this statement though...


Conflicting and confused witness reports are pretty much par for the course in an investigation. Someone is asked, "Did you see a dark-haired, middle-aged English lady on the beach?" And of course there will be a lot of different reports, some of which may be describing a completely different person who happened to be nearby. In crime dramas, the eyewitnesses are amazingly accurate (e.g., "Her makeup was smeared. She was wearing a blue striped t-shirt and adidas sneakers with a red stain on the right toe"), but in real life that's rarely true.

As far as noticing that she was too far out, there was a report of a "fitness instructor" who said he saw her out there and warned her about being that far from shore, but again it's not clear if that was even the same person.

If you're on the beach and see someone bobbing in the waves, you may not necessarily mark them as being in any kind of trouble. You turn your head and when you look back they're no longer there. Did they go under, or did they just swim to another spot? It's not something that would necessarily lead you to raise as an alarm, or even pay much attention to it on a crowded beach.


Edit - You know, yesterday I went to a real estate open house and spoke to the agent for several minutes. I could tell you everything she told me about the home. But if the police knocked on my door today and said she's missing and I'm the last person to see her alive, could I describe what she looked like and what she was wearing? I don't think I could. I'm pretty sure she had glasses, dark hair and was wearing a dress, but I'm not even 100% sure about that. Hairstyle, clothing colors, etc...I have no idea.

It's an interesting exercise. Think about someone you saw a few hours ago but didn't particularly pay any attention to at the time, like a store clerk or a waiter, and try to describe them. Most of us would be pretty bad at it.

I read something recently that said if you see somethings suspicious, like a person hanging around or something, then the best thing is to try and remember their shoes. What type, colour, make, trainer? etc The police regard this as more distinctive than hair colour, or size. Just thought I'd mention that here. (clearly not applicable as Michele seems to have not had her's with her.)

 

[Skigh]

British woman who vanished from sunbed on Greek beach is found dead

The devastated husband of a British woman who went missing while he was asleep on a sun lounger has said police have found the body of his beloved wife.

www.dailymail.co.uk

Today Mr Bourda told the Daily Mail that police officers had finally located his wife’s body, more than a month after she first went missing.

She was found on a small, privately owned island called Fidonisi, around 40km down the coast from where she was last seen.

While Mrs Bourda’s body is to be formally identified during an autopsy tomorrow, officers believe due to the tankini she was last seen wearing.

Her husband said the body was found half-naked, partially eaten by fish and without a head. Officers, who called Mr Bourda this afternoon, said they are ‘99 per cent sure’ it is her, due to her swimsuit.

 

[MsMiniSleuth]

Sad, but when she was still missing after a couple of days, I did say before it was going to be a recovery. A month is a long time though.

 

[MollyHarps]

British woman who vanished from sunbed on Greek beach is found dead

The devastated husband of a British woman who went missing while he was asleep on a sun lounger has said police have found the body of his beloved wife.

www.dailymail.co.uk

Today Mr Bourda told the Daily Mail that police officers had finally located his wife’s body, more than a month after she first went missing.

She was found on a small, privately owned island called Fidonisi, around 40km down the coast from where she was last seen.

While Mrs Bourda’s body is to be formally identified during an autopsy tomorrow, officers believe due to the tankini she was last seen wearing.

Her husband said the body was found half-naked, partially eaten by fish and without a head. Officers, who called Mr Bourda this afternoon, said they are ‘99 per cent sure’ it is her, due to her swimsuit.

Im not sure the husband needs to release all those details about the body at the bottom.

RIP I hope you’re at peace now.

 

[Sarahlou]

I wasn't expecting those gruesome details.
Poor Michele. RIP.

 

[Lucy6226]

Im not sure the husband needs to release all those details about the body at the bottom.

RIP I hope you’re at peace now.

Agreed. Seems heartless, but everyone deals with grief differently I guess. Moo

 

[Inthedetails]

I wasn't expecting those gruesome details.
Poor Michele. RIP.

I hope the husband has some support to help him get through this. He is, understandably, traumatized not only by his wife's disappearance and death, but the callous response he received when seeking help.

In the beginning, wondered if he were involved with the disappearance, and I'm sorry about that.

It's painful to see him in pain. I wish him well and I hope now the body has been found, it smooths the grieving and recovery process a bit for him.

jmopinion

 

[Plod]

Seems like they have removed the gruesome details from the initial DailyMail report. without being macabre, does it seem in line with a body that has drowned? I would suspect from the detail that her body was found here, in this report, that it maybe washed up on a beach 40 km away.

MSN

Condolences to her husband and family.

eta: Ive just read @Skigh's post, and it does seem consistent with being in the water.

 

[Dotta]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1963893716055159082

 

[wendybtn]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1963893716055159082

After reading the article, I believe she drowned. RIP

 

[Chimera]

I know this thread’s been quiet for a while, but I just came across the case and made an account since I’m from Glasgow. Surprised it’s been a month and barely anyone’s talking about it. Where’s her son? He’s mid-30s, right? If it were my mum or wife, I’d be making noise every day. The silence feels strange.

The husband seems to have tried hard, but why didn’t people nearby notice anything? And why so many conflicting (and retracted) reports about her walking, swimming, different clothes? If she went too far out, surely someone would have seen it. What also stands out is how he said there wasn’t much of a search, yet multiple reports confirm the Coast Guard, police, and even fishing boats were involved in a large operation.

Bodies usually wash up in days or weeks. After 30 days and nothing, either she never went into the water, or she was carried offshore quickly and lost.

This case feels way too quiet. Curious what everyone else here thinks, 30 days on.

Justwondering: Her belongings were left, so I assume they’d check her phone to see any hint of planning or if someone’s helping her?

Agreed with your questions !
Baffling.

Eta : Didn't know she'd been found.

Rest in eternal peace, Michele !!
My utmost condolences to her loved ones.

And, @BaiHu : Welcome to Websleuths !!!

 

[Chimera]

Sad for her husband.
Can't really blame him for feeling LE wasn't taking Michele's disappearance seriously enough.

 

[FromGermany1]

British woman who vanished from sunbed on Greek beach is found dead

The devastated husband of a British woman who went missing while he was asleep on a sun lounger has said police have found the body of his beloved wife.

www.dailymail.co.uk

Today Mr Bourda told the Daily Mail that police officers had finally located his wife’s body, more than a month after she first went missing.

She was found on a small, privately owned island called Fidonisi, around 40km down the coast from where she was last seen.

While Mrs Bourda’s body is to be formally identified during an autopsy tomorrow, officers believe due to the tankini she was last seen wearing.

Her husband said the body was found half-naked, partially eaten by fish and without a head. Officers, who called Mr Bourda this afternoon, said they are ‘99 per cent sure’ it is her, due to her swimsuit.

The Bourdas, who had been married for 36 years after meeting at university in Germany, had enjoyed their first few days wandering around Kavala.

Mr Bourda said: 'The whole night before she had been holding my hand and you would never think anything was wrong or something like this would ever happen.

'We were talking the other day and she was saying how happy our 40 years together and I said yes, we will hopefully have another 40 years in front of us.'
That sounds like a worrying farewell to me. The next day, I believe, she wanted to be without her husband and used the time, he slept. Perhaps depression was taking over. IMO