Latest news with #Bourda
The Irish Sun
5 days ago
- The Irish Sun
Husband of missing Brit Michele Bourda ‘was laughed at' as he begged for help after waking up to find her gone 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 lounger on Ofrynio beach on Friday - before finding his partner Michele, 59, had mysteriously vanished during their vacation in Kavala. 8 Michele Ann Joy Bourda, 59, who disappeared from the beach of Ofryni, Kavala 8 Brit husband Chris Bourda told how he was laughed at as he begged for help 8 Michele in picture believed to have been taken hours before she went missing Credit: ANT1 8 He also blasted search efforts by local cops for his wife, branding the police "unbothered". The devastated holidaymaker explained that he had initially dozed off while soaking up the sun with his partner - before finding that she had disappeared, even leaving her towel behind. He told the Daily Mail: "She had seemed quite happy that day. We went for a short swim as it was windy and there were a few waves." "She then ordered a few crepes and said we could have a nice sleep after. "Unfortunately I fell asleep first and when I woke up she wasn't there." Michele was last seen wearing a two-piece beaded swimsuit, yellow beach shoes, and red sunglasses, according to authorities. Her husband detailed his panicked attempt to find her after realising she had vanished. "I quickly ran to the toilet and knocked on the ladies but she wasn't in there. I then ran to the beach to look again in the water," he said. "I asked the people behind us if they had seen her, they said no but then later they sent a photograph to the police which had shown us eating crepes in the background." He added: "I then quickly went back to the waiter to say my wife was missing, have you seen her and he started laughing." Pleading texts missing boy Giovanni Pelletier sent in hours before he vanished as last people to see him 'change story' The staffer only started to take the situation seriously when Bourda desperately explained that his wife had "psychological problems". The distraught husband then asked a local shopkeeper for help. The local rang the police, but cops took two hours to arrive at the scene. This left Bourda to frantically search for Michele on his own. He said that he did not see a single police officer on the beach the day his wife went missing - and a fellow hotel guest echoed this claim. Bourda said: "The police didn't do anything on the day. One guest who was there that day said she didn't see any police and I didn't see any police that day either, not one single policeman at the beach. "The only thing I saw was a police car driving up and down the road to the beach. Not getting out of the car, just looking in the direction of the sea." The tourist also slammed cops by revealing they have not been using drones of search dogs in the search efforts. Police have only been using search boats in the early morning or night "so as not to disturb or concern the tourists", the Brit said. He added that when he visited the hospital while searching for his wife, doctors told him that "a lot of incidents" happen on that beach and that it can sometimes be dangerous. "I wonder if they have told me if she is alive so other tourists don't get scared," he said. 8 The missing woman previously faced 'psychological problems', her husband said Credit: Enterprise 8 Michele was last seen wearing a two-piece beaded swimsuit, yellow beach shoes, and red sunglasses Credit: EPT NEWS Bourda pleaded: "I have been searching without sleep or anything. Day and night, especially early in the morning. It was hard to see at night though as it was so dark. "For days and nights I have gone up down the coast, searched bushes, olive groves, empty houses, building sites, later I went to the hills, nothing." 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 think my wife would have gone to somebody in the car or anything. I really don't. I have tried everywhere but one person alone is very difficult to find something." Pharmacist Bourda said his wife had battled bouts of depression and anxiety for years - and had vanished once before after being made redundant in London. Luckily, cops found her the same night. She fell ill again in February but was reportedly in good spirits when the couple jetted off to Greece for some sun. The couple, who have been married for 36 years after meeting at university in Germany, were enjoying their first few days wandering around Kavala before the frightening ordeal. 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." The Brit also made a complaint to the British Embassy in Athens after feeling completely let down by local police. Bourda added: "I want to complain as they have around 40 million tourists visiting here each year but they don't have any infrastructure here to help if things go wrong. "These are things we would not usually think about when we are safe until something happens and you realise you are not safe." He added: "The police are not bothered, they sit in their office in the shade or I've seen others just standing in the shade under some trees. That's how they work. "When I visited the station there were just five of them sitting there playing on their phones." A police 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." 8 A Silver Alert was issued after authorites failed to locate the woman Credit: Lifeline Hellas
Scottish Sun
5 days ago
- Scottish Sun
Husband of missing Brit Michele Bourda ‘was laughed at' as he begged for help after waking up to find her gone in Greece
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) 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 lounger on Ofrynio beach on Friday - before finding his partner Michele, 59, had mysteriously vanished during their vacation in Kavala. 8 Michele Ann Joy Bourda, 59, who disappeared from the beach of Ofryni, Kavala 8 Brit husband Chris Bourda told how he was laughed at as he begged for help 8 Michele in picture believed to have been taken hours before she went missing Credit: ANT1 8 He also blasted search efforts by local cops for his wife, branding the police "unbothered". The devastated holidaymaker explained that he had initially dozed off while soaking up the sun with his partner - before finding that she had disappeared, even leaving her towel behind. He told the Daily Mail: "She had seemed quite happy that day. We went for a short swim as it was windy and there were a few waves." "She then ordered a few crepes and said we could have a nice sleep after. "Unfortunately I fell asleep first and when I woke up she wasn't there." Michele was last seen wearing a two-piece beaded swimsuit, yellow beach shoes, and red sunglasses, according to authorities. Her husband detailed his panicked attempt to find her after realising she had vanished. "I quickly ran to the toilet and knocked on the ladies but she wasn't in there. I then ran to the beach to look again in the water," he said. "I asked the people behind us if they had seen her, they said no but then later they sent a photograph to the police which had shown us eating crepes in the background." He added: "I then quickly went back to the waiter to say my wife was missing, have you seen her and he started laughing." Pleading texts missing boy Giovanni Pelletier sent in hours before he vanished as last people to see him 'change story' The staffer only started to take the situation seriously when Bourda desperately explained that his wife had "psychological problems". The distraught husband then asked a local shopkeeper for help. The local rang the police, but cops took two hours to arrive at the scene. This left Bourda to frantically search for Michele on his own. He said that he did not see a single police officer on the beach the day his wife went missing - and a fellow hotel guest echoed this claim. Bourda said: "The police didn't do anything on the day. One guest who was there that day said she didn't see any police and I didn't see any police that day either, not one single policeman at the beach. "The only thing I saw was a police car driving up and down the road to the beach. Not getting out of the car, just looking in the direction of the sea." The tourist also slammed cops by revealing they have not been using drones of search dogs in the search efforts. Police have only been using search boats in the early morning or night "so as not to disturb or concern the tourists", the Brit said. He added that when he visited the hospital while searching for his wife, doctors told him that "a lot of incidents" happen on that beach and that it can sometimes be dangerous. "I wonder if they have told me if she is alive so other tourists don't get scared," he said. 8 The missing woman previously faced 'psychological problems', her husband said Credit: Enterprise 8 Michele was last seen wearing a two-piece beaded swimsuit, yellow beach shoes, and red sunglasses Credit: EPT NEWS Bourda pleaded: "I have been searching without sleep or anything. Day and night, especially early in the morning. It was hard to see at night though as it was so dark. "For days and nights I have gone up down the coast, searched bushes, olive groves, empty houses, building sites, later I went to the hills, nothing." 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 think my wife would have gone to somebody in the car or anything. I really don't. I have tried everywhere but one person alone is very difficult to find something." Pharmacist Bourda said his wife had battled bouts of depression and anxiety for years - and had vanished once before after being made redundant in London. Luckily, cops found her the same night. She fell ill again in February but was reportedly in good spirits when the couple jetted off to Greece for some sun. The couple, who have been married for 36 years after meeting at university in Germany, were enjoying their first few days wandering around Kavala before the frightening ordeal. 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." The Brit also made a complaint to the British Embassy in Athens after feeling completely let down by local police. Bourda added: "I want to complain as they have around 40 million tourists visiting here each year but they don't have any infrastructure here to help if things go wrong. "These are things we would not usually think about when we are safe until something happens and you realise you are not safe." He added: "The police are not bothered, they sit in their office in the shade or I've seen others just standing in the shade under some trees. That's how they work. "When I visited the station there were just five of them sitting there playing on their phones." A police 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." 8 A Silver Alert was issued after authorites failed to locate the woman Credit: Lifeline Hellas
Glasgow Times
5 days ago
- Glasgow Times
Glasgow woman vanished from Greece beach as search ongoing
Michele Ann Joy Bourda had been swimming with her husband at Ofrynio beach in the city of Kavala at around 12pm on Friday, August 1, 2025. STV News reported that the Glaswegian then reportedly disappeared while her partner, who is of Greek origin, was sleeping on a sunbed. READ MORE: Person rushed to hospital after Glasgow's M8 forced to close amid incident READ MORE: Body of man reported missing found in wooded Ayrshire area Greece's Hellenic Coastguard said the port authority received reports that the 59-year-old was missing on August 1. Following that, a major search was launched. Two patrol boats, two private high-speed boats, five fishing boats, three private lifeboats, and two patrol vehicles from land were involved in the frantic search. The missing woman, who lives in Glasgow, was last seen wearing a two-piece swimsuit with decorative stones, yellow water shoes, and red plastic sunglasses. She is described as having straight blonde hair down to her shoulders, hazel eyes, and being 5ft 6 inches tall. The Glaswegian is also said to be thin. According to reports, the British Embassy in Greece shared an appeal to track down Bourda on Facebook. Meanwhile, Lifeline Hellas said her 'life is in danger'. (Image: LIFELINE, Google) In an appeal, Lifeline said: "There is a missing adult. "Michele Ann Joy Bourda, 59 years old, disappeared from the beach of Ofrynio, Kavala, where she had gone swimming with her husband, at noon on August 1, 2025. "She has straight blonde hair down to her shoulders, hazel eyes, is 1.73m tall, and is thin. "On the day she disappeared, she was wearing a two-piece swimsuit with rhinestones, yellow beach shoes, and red, bone-rimmed sunglasses. LIFELINE was notified by her relatives at noon on August 2, 2025, after collecting the required supporting documents, and is activating the SILVER ALERT Social Alert to mobilise everyone to find her. "Her life is in danger. If you know anything, contact the Silver Alert, 24 hours a day, at the National SOS Line 1065." A Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office spokesperson told STV: 'We are supporting the family of a British woman who is missing in Greece and are in contact with local authorities'. According to LIFELINE's website, they are a 'non-profit voluntary organisation' which was founded in May 2006.
STV News
5 days ago
- STV News
Neighbours 'shocked' after Glasgow mum vanishes from Greek beach
Neighbours of a mum from Glasgow who went missing from a beach in Greece six days ago say they are 'shocked' by her disappearance. Michele Ann Joy Bourda had been swimming with her husband at Ofrynio beach in the city of Kavala at around noon on Friday, August 1. She then reportedly vanished while her husband, who is of Greek origin, was sleeping on a sunbed. The Hellenic Coastguard said the port authority received reports that the 59-year-old was missing the same evening. A major search was launched involving two patrol boats, two private high-speed boats, five fishing boats, three private lifeboats and two patrol vehicles from land. Ms Bourda, who lives in Glasgow, was wearing a swimsuit with decorative stones, yellow water shoes, and red plastic sunglasses when she vanished. She is described as having straight blonde hair down to her shoulders, hazel eyes, is 1.73m tall and is thin. The 59-year-old's neighbours told STV News they were shocked to learn of her disappearance and said their thoughts are with her family as the search continues. The couple have been described as private and often kept to themselves but spoke with other residents in the area while out walking. They moved to Crookston around 2018 to be closer to their son, who was studying in the city. The British Embassy in Greece shared an appeal to trace her on Facebook. Lifeline Hellas, a Greek missing persons charity, said 'her life is in danger'. A Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office spokesperson said: 'We are supporting the family of a British woman who is missing in Greece and are in contact with local authorities'. Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Yahoo
'Her life is in danger': Glasgow woman vanishes from Greek beach
An urgent search is underway for a missing Glasgow woman who vanished from a beach in Greece almost one week ago. Michele Ann Joy Bourda had been swimming with her husband at Ofrynio beach in the city of Kavala at around 12pm on Friday, August 1, 2025. STV News reported that the Glaswegian then reportedly disappeared while her partner, who is of Greek origin, was sleeping on a sunbed. READ MORE: Person rushed to hospital after Glasgow's M8 forced to close amid incident READ MORE: Body of man reported missing found in wooded Ayrshire area Greece's Hellenic Coastguard said the port authority received reports that the 59-year-old was missing on August 1. Following that, a major search was launched. Two patrol boats, two private high-speed boats, five fishing boats, three private lifeboats, and two patrol vehicles from land were involved in the frantic search. The missing woman, who lives in Glasgow, was last seen wearing a two-piece swimsuit with decorative stones, yellow water shoes, and red plastic sunglasses. She is described as having straight blonde hair down to her shoulders, hazel eyes, and being 5ft 6 inches tall. The Glaswegian is also said to be thin. According to reports, the British Embassy in Greece shared an appeal to track down Bourda on Facebook. Meanwhile, Lifeline Hellas said her 'life is in danger'. (Image: LIFELINE, Google) In an appeal, Lifeline said: "There is a missing adult. "Michele Ann Joy Bourda, 59 years old, disappeared from the beach of Ofrynio, Kavala, where she had gone swimming with her husband, at noon on August 1, 2025. "She has straight blonde hair down to her shoulders, hazel eyes, is 1.73m tall, and is thin. "On the day she disappeared, she was wearing a two-piece swimsuit with rhinestones, yellow beach shoes, and red, bone-rimmed sunglasses. LIFELINE was notified by her relatives at noon on August 2, 2025, after collecting the required supporting documents, and is activating the SILVER ALERT Social Alert to mobilise everyone to find her. "Her life is in danger. If you know anything, contact the Silver Alert, 24 hours a day, at the National SOS Line 1065." A Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office spokesperson told STV: 'We are supporting the family of a British woman who is missing in Greece and are in contact with local authorities'. According to LIFELINE's website, they are a 'non-profit voluntary organisation' which was founded in May 2006.
