Mystery grows over Brit tourist, 59, who vanished from sunbed while husband slept as cops say there is ‘no sign of her'
Emergency services have now launched a massive search operation to find the 59-year-old woman who shockingly disappeared from Ofrynio beach in Kavala.
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Michele was last seen wearing a two-piece beaded swimsuit, yellow beach shoes, and red sunglasses, according to authorities.
She is believed to have gone to the beach with her husband, who was allegedly asleep when the woman disappeared.
When he woke up, the woman was nowhere to be found, according to local media.
Sources say the woman's belongings were still at the beach after she disappeared.
A Silver Alert was issued after authorites failed to locate the woman and said there are "no signs of her".
Authorities confirmed to The Sun that the woman is a British national - and has been identified as Michele Ann Joy Bourda.
They believe her life could be in danger.
Greece's Hellenic Coast Guard has confirmed to The Sun that a search operation via sea continues.
A well-placed source said the search could be extended.
They 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. We are not at that stage."
The British embassy in Greece also issued an alert notice saying: "Michele Ann BOURDA went missing on 01/08/2025 at the beach of Ofrynio in Kavala.
"On the day she went missing, she was wearing a swimsuit with decorative stones, yellow water shoes, and red plastic sunglasses. Her life is in danger."
It is believed that part of the beach from where she disappeared is surrounded by extensive crops, houses and a large reservoir.
The Sun has approached the UK Foreign Office for comment.
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It comes after another Brit tourist vanished from a Greek holiday island last month after his car was found abandoned.
Cops launched a search and rescue operation to find the Brit man, 60, who was last seen in the Tristomo village of Karpathos.
It is understood that the Brit was staying in a rented room in Olympos, Karpathos, which is near Rhodes island.
He had also rented a car for his transportation, which authorities found parked and locked in the Korfasia area of Avlonas, local media reports.
According to security sources, a team of eight police officers with four vehicles, firefighters and members of the Greek coast guard have launched an investigation.
The Brit's landlord informed authorities that she last spoke to him on the morning of June 27.
It comes after a Brit tourist tragically died while on a sun lounger in a Greek paradise island.
The 73-year-old man was reportedly found by fellow holidaymakers in Agia Paraskevi, Skiathos, last week.
Emergency services were then called after the lifeguard attempted to perform first aid on the Brit.
A local doctor tried to revive the man for 40 minutes - but unfortunately was unable to do so.
Earlier this month, another Brit tourist died at a popular Greek island.
The 68-year-old holidaymaker was found dead after he reportedly went swimming and lost consciousness on the island of Rhodes, local media reported.
Officers from the Central Port Authority of Rhodes rushed to the scene of the incident at the popular tourist spot of Lindos.
The man was rushed to the Archangelos Health Centre, but was sadly pronounced dead.
And last August, a 71-year-old Brit tourist was pulled unconscious from the sea in Greece.
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The Guardian
9 hours ago
- The Guardian
Search for missing Briton continues in Greek resort
A mammoth search-and-rescue operation for a British woman last seen lounging on a sunbed in Greece has intensified days after her 'mysterious' disappearance. The Hellenic coastguard, backed by a flotilla of pleasure craft and fishing boats, has fanned across the waters off Ofrynio beach near the northern town of Kavala, where Michele Bourda, 59, went missing on 1 August. 'The search is very much on, with a patrol vessel and other recreational boats out scouring the seas all along the Strymonian Gulf,' said a coastguard official. 'Three days may have elapsed, but there are no plans to call off the operation yet.' While vessels combed the sea on Monday, police also continued an extensive search on land, authorities said. Bourda, described as a 'temporary resident' of Serres in northern Greece, was reported missing by her Greek husband on Friday after he awoke from a nap on a sunbed to find his wife had vanished from the adjacent lounger, though her belongings were still there. When authorities failed to find Bourda, LifeLine Hellas, a Greek missing persons charity, issued a silver alert – often activated when missing people are suffering from Altzheimer's and other forms of dementia – prompting a large-scale and coordinated search by rescue services. In its appeal for help, the charity described Bourda as about 5ft 6in tall and of slim build. 'On the day she went missing, she was wearing a swimsuit with decorative stones, yellow water shoes, and red plastic sunglasses. Her life is in danger,' it said. The British embassy in Athens issued a similar statement. As Monday drew to a close, Greek officials said that no decision had yet been made about whether or not to continue the search-and-rescue operation on Tuesday. 'Hope dies last,' said one. 'Any scenario would be guessing at this point, and it is too early to make any decision.' Even if the coastguard operation was brought to a halt, the search would continue on land, and regular patrol boats would still comb the seas as part of their daily activities. Bourda is not the first Briton to go missing in Greece this summer. Last month, another silver alert was activated after the family of 60-year-old Jay Arnold notified police that he had vanished while holidaying on the southern Aegean isle of Karpathos. Sign up to First Edition Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion Arnold, who was staying in the village of Olympos in the north of the island, was last seen by a local woman from whom he had been renting accommodation. Police were alerted when he failed to check out of his room on the day he was due to leave. Though his rented car was found parked and locked, authorities have since described the search for him as 'going cold'. 'We've had dogs brought in, drones, specially trained police and volunteers out there looking and we've found nothing,' local police officer Panayiotis Fotopoulos said. 'It's very odd, a total mystery, that absolutely nothing should be found after so many weeks. We're not ruling out that perhaps he fell into the sea.' Last June, the celebrity doctor and TV presenter Michael Mosley was found dead five days after he went missing on the remote Greek island of Symi. An inquest determined he had likely died as a result of accidental heatstroke after getting lost as he attempted to return from the beach to his lodgings from a beach on the island. With its crystal clear blue waters and golden sands, Ofrynio beach is among the most picturesque places in northern Greece, which, like the rest of the country, has been hit by record temperatures in recent weeks.
Daily Mirror
10 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Michele Ann Joy Bourda mystery grows after Brit tourist vanishes from sunbed
Michele Ann Joy Bourda, 59, was last seen on a sunbed at Ofryni beach, Kavala in Greece on August 1 with her belongings abandoned where she had been lying by her husband Fears are growing for a missing British woman who vanished from a sunbed on holiday as a search has been extended with still no signs of her after three days. Michele Ann Joy Bourda, 59, was last seen on a sunbed at Ofryni beach, Kavala in Greece on Friday, August 1. Her husband is said to have been asleep when she disappeared. He woke up to find her missing, with her belongings still on the beach. The alarm was then raised by her concerned family, according to Greek missing persons charity Lifeline Hellas, who put out a Silver Alert after police were unable to locate her. An alert from the charity read: "Her life is in danger. If you know anything, contact the Silver Alert service, 24 hours a day, at the National SOS Line 1065." It comes after girl, 3, was found dead on beach by a horrified passer-by. Greece's Hellenic Coast Guard have launched a search operation at sea and they are investigating the reports that her belongings were left on the beach. It is reported that three recreational craft, five fishing boats as well as two patrol boats have been involved in looking for Ms Bourda. Michele is described as having straight blonde hair down to her shoulders, hazel eyes, is 1.73m (5ft 6in) tall and is thin. On the day she disappeared, she was wearing a two-piece swimsuit with rhinestones, yellow beach shoes and red sunglasses. She was apparently seen swimming at around 12pm. And the investigation is now understood to have been extended with fears for her life. A source 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. "We are not at that stage." They added: "Michele is a British citizen who likely also had a home in the UK. There are coast guard boats and private boats out looking for her." It comes as part of the beach near where she disappeared is surrounded by vegetation, houses and a large reservoir. Ms Bourda is understood to live with her Greek husband in Serres, Macedonia. The British embassy in Greece shared a notice on Facebook which read: 'Michele Ann BOURDA went missing on 01/08/2025 at the beach of Ofrynio in Kavala. On the day she went missing, she was wearing a swimsuit with decorative stones, yellow water shoes and red plastic sunglasses. Her life is in danger.'
Telegraph
12 hours ago
- Telegraph
British woman who died in Crete swimming pool named
A British woman who died in a hotel swimming pool in Crete has been named as Margaret Winifred Davies. The 78-year-old tourist was staying at the five-star Knossos Royal hotel in the town of Hersonissos when she lost consciousness. She was dragged from the water and received first aid before being taken to hospital, but was pronounced dead. Three people have been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter by negligence, including a 21-year-old female lifeguard who was supposed to be on duty at the time. The Cretapost website reported that the lifeguard was not at her post at the time of the incident. The hotel's director, 51, and general manager, 41, were also arrested. All three suspects have been released. Safety complaints The hotel occupies a prime position on the northern coast of Crete and promises 'rolling lawns, lush landscaping and impeccable facilities', according to its website. It boasts several swimming pools, which are 'designed to appeal to all senses and play an important role in the resort's architectural structure'. While the hotel generally garners good reviews, one guest on Tripadvisor commented: 'I do feel maybe there should be more proactive safety measures in place of an evening regarding people using the pools late at night. 'That doesn't feel safe to me, that people use the pools for a late night swim and there is no one paying attention to this.' A spokesman for the Knossos Royal told The Telegraph: 'We are not in a position to make any statement.' A Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office spokesman said: 'We are supporting the family of a British woman who died in Crete and are in touch with local authorities.' The incident comes after a British tourist was found dead on his sun lounger on a beach near Hersonissos on July 20. The 74-year-old man had lost consciousness shortly after going swimming in the sea on Stalis Beach and was pronounced dead at the scene. Meanwhile, a search for a British woman is continuing after she went missing from a beach in northern Greece. Michele Bourda, 59, is reported to have disappeared while her husband slept on a beach in Kavala. Her family raised the alarm, but police have so far been unable to find her. She had been swimming at midday on Friday and was wearing a two-piece swimsuit featuring rhinestones, as well as yellow beach shoes and red bone-rimmed sunglasses when she went missing. According to local media, she lived with her husband, who is of Greek origin. She had reportedly gone to the beach with him and disappeared while he was sleeping on a deckchair.
