Latest news with #Christos
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Daily Mail
Brit who vanished from Greek sunbed while husband slept 'was seen walking away from the scene'... as it emerges she 'also disappeared in London in 2020'
The British woman who vanished from a Greek sunbed six days ago while her husband slept was seen walking away from the scene, as it emerges she also disappeared in London in 2020, according to Greek media. Michele Ann Joy Bourda, 59, had been swimming at Ofrynio beach in the city of Kavala at around noon on Friday before she suddenly went missing, beginning an investigation by land and sea into her whereabouts. An image shared by Greek outlet ANT1 reportedly shows the last sighting of Mrs Bourda, enjoying a snack with her Greek husband, Christos, at a cafe near the beach three hours before she vanished. The couple had gone to the beach early in the morning and spent several hours there before Mrs Bourda's husband fell asleep. When he woke up, his wife had vanished from the sunlounger, but her belongings remained. A sports instructor claimed he saw a woman who resembled Mrs Bourda swimming in deep waters and said that he urged her to not go any further, LBC reports. But sources are now saying they saw her walking away from the scene in northern Greece, according to Ilia Live. This is not the first time Mrs Bourda has gone missing, the report claimed. In London 2020 following a dismissal from work, the woman vanished before she was later found by the police. She has reportedly been suffering with health problems in recent times, spurring her husband's anxiety about her current whereabouts. In the photograph from the beach cafe, Mrs Bourda is pictured wearing a dark swimming costume and sunglasses, and appears calm as she chats with her husband, who is shown in the photo wearing a white cap. When he woke from his slumber on the beach to find that Mrs Bourda was not by his side, he asked the owners of a nearby shop if they had seen his wife, to who he reportedly revealed that she 'was not very well'. Speaking to Greek outlet Protothema, one of the shop owners said: 'The couple were together and at some point the husband fell asleep and it seems that the wife went in to swim. 'When the husband woke up and didn't see her next to him, he came to the store and asked us if we had seen his wife, who had disappeared. 'He also told us that his wife was not very well, and that she had problems.' The shop keeper went on to say that Mrs Bourda's husband 'was a bit stressed' and told them that 'his wife had done this before, that is, she had disappeared'. 'This is what he told us, that she had gotten lost again and that she wasn't very well, the woman had problems.' Police have been searching on land for the tourist, while Greece 's Hellenic Coast Guard have been scouring the sea, but the central port authority in Kavala said on Monday night it had paused its targeted search and rescue efforts. A Silver Alert was issued after the police failed to immediately locate the tourist and authorities have warned that she may be in danger. Silver Alerts are usually used to notify citizens about the disappearance of elderly people, especially those with dementia or Alzheimer's. 'Her life is in danger. If you know anything, contact the Silver Alert service, 24 hours a day, at the National SOS Line 1065,' the alert by the Greek missing persons charity, Lifeline Hellas, said. While Greek media are still referring to the woman as a tourist, there is some speculation that the couple were living locally, in a village in Serres. Mrs Bourda, described as timid by her neighbours in Glasgow, was said to very adventurous and active. One said: 'She has always dressed in walking gear with a fleece and boots or a cagoule. She is really into the outdoors.' Neighbours would regularly see her and her husband Christos out walking with backpacks on as they loaded the car for another day trip in the wild. One of her neighbours said: 'They've got bikes, and are quite active. They like to go walking, they like to go wild swimming. 'They would go, and they would often be away for the whole day in the summer, and then if we saw them coming in and out and they would say, "oh, we've been somewhere up north and we were swimming". And I would see her sometimes sit and reading in the garden.' Those who lived nearby admitted they were shocked upon hearing that Mrs Bourda had been reported missing while holidaying in Greece. Another added: 'The couple are very private and keep themselves to themselves. She is very quiet and timid and he is a bit more commanding. They moved to Glasgow about six years ago because their son is studying here.' 'They are retired and tend to go everywhere together even though they have two cars. They are quite guarded and private but I'm very shocked that she has gone missing.' A map shows how the 10.5-mile-long Greek beach where Mrs Bourda vanished after lounging on a sunbed is surrounded by expansive fields, residential houses and a huge fishing pond. She was last seen wearing a rhinestone-embellished two-piece beaded swimsuit, yellow beach shoes and a pair of red horn-rimmed sunglasses. She is described as being 5ft 6in, of a slim build with blue eyes and shoulder-length hair. The Daily Mail contacted the FCDO for comment on whether the UK Government was assisting in the search for Ms Bourda. It comes after a 60-year-old British tourist went missing in June while on holiday in Greece. His hired car was found abandoned on the island of Karpathos in 38C heat and he was last seen by the owner of his rented accommodation on June 27. Meanwhile, fears are growing for a British woman who disappeared from a Spanish tourist hotspot last week. Jennifer Frances Lacey, 41, vanished from the municipality of Vera on Monday, July 28. Her disappearance was reported by the SOS Missing Persons Association on Thursday and she is described as measuring 5ft 2in, having curly brown hair, blue eyes and wearing prescription glasses. A Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office spokesman told the Daily Mail: 'We are supporting the family of a British woman who was reported missing in Spain.' At least ten foreign tourists were found dead or disappeared last year in Greece while going for a hike, often in high temperatures, the New York Times reported. It also comes days after the search for an elderly British man who went missing on a trip to ancient Turkish tombs ended in tragedy. Following a three-day search in and around the ancient tombs of Kaunos in Turkey for the 79-year-old, investigators found a body. The man was reported missing by his daughter, who he travelled with to Çandır, a village in Muğla's Köyceğiz district in southwestern Turkey, for a holiday together on July 26. At 10.30am that day, her father began a trip by rowboat to the nearby rock-cut temple tombs of Kaunos, also known as the Lycian rock tombs, but she lost contact with him and has not heard from his since. Following his daughter's report, Turkish authorities launched a search for the man with a 19-person team, consisting of the Köyceğiz Gendarmerie District Command, Muğla AFAD and an NGO. An investigation is now underway to understand exactly how the man went missing.
Times
4 days ago
- Times
British woman missing in Greece ‘enjoyed wild swimming'
A woman who vanished from a beach in Greece is 'very active' and enjoys wild swimming, her neighbours have said. Michele Ann Joy Bourda, 59, from Glasgow, was last seen at Ofrynio Beach in the northern city of Kavala at lunchtime on Friday. She had been seen swimming in deep water around midday before going missing, while her husband slept on a sunlounger nearby. Her belongings remained beside her chair after she disappeared. The Hellenic coast guard launched a general search, but a targeted land and sea operation was called off after several days. A summer sports instructor is believed to be one of the last people to see Bourda at the beach. He claimed he had spoken to a woman matching her description, warning her her not to swim out any further. Bourda lives in a suburb of Glasgow with her husband, Christos, a Greek citizen. The couple have an adult son, who also lives in the city. Neighbours near her upmarket home, in a cul-de-sac on the city's southside, told The Times they were shocked to learn she had gone missing while on holiday. They described her as a quiet but active woman who loved the outdoors. One resident, who asked not to be named, said that the couple had moved to the house about six years ago from England as they wanted to be near their son while he studied at university in Glasgow. She said: 'They were quite a private couple. They're really into gardening and we'd quite often see them in the garden. 'They were both into wild swimming and they were very active. They would go hiking around Loch Lomond, and hillwalking and wild swimming up north. They were always together. They have a holiday home in Greece and go there every year for two or three months.' She described her neighbour's disappearance as 'just awful', adding: 'I'm so shocked. Yesterday was the first I heard about it. They were friendly but I never really had the opportunity to speak to Michele.' Catherine Ross, another neighbour, said: 'It's very sad. I hope she's OK. They are just a quiet couple. I didn't even know they were away — they keep to themselves.' A third neighbour, who wished to remain anonymous, said: 'They generally kept themselves to themselves but were pleasant. I saw her walking past and she would have a wee backpack on dressed casually for walking. I always saw them together. I thought it was shocking when I heard what happened. I certainly didn't expect to hear anything like that about one of my neighbours.' After she went missing, Bourda's husband is reported to have asked a shop owner near where she went missing if they had seen his wife and told them she was unwell. He had been sleeping on a sunlounger next to her and woke up to find she was gone. One business owner told the Greek newspaper Protothema: 'When the husband woke up and did not see her next to him, he came to the shop and asked us if we saw his wife, who had disappeared. He told us that his wife was not very well and that she was having problems. The husband was a bit anxious but told us that his wife had done this before, that is, she has been lost.' Neighbours in Glasgow said they had no idea if she had any health problems or had gone missing before. Asked about the claims, one resident said: 'It was never mentioned to us that she has any health problems. That's not anything we've ever been aware of.'
Daily Record
5 days ago
- Daily Record
Glasgow woman who vanished from sun lounger in Greece pictured hours before disappearance
Michele Ann Joy Bourda, 59, disappeared at around midday from Ofrynio beach in Greece on August 1. Missing tourist Michele Ann Joy Bourda was pictured enjoying breakfast at a cafe with her husband just hours before she vanished. The 59-year-old, who is understood to live in Glasgow, had been swimming at Ofrynio beach in the city of Kavala at around noon on Friday before she suddenly disappeared. The search for Michele has now entered its fifth day. A fresh image released to the media in Greece shows her eating alongside husband Christos at the beach-side restaurant on the morning of her disappearance. At the time, she was seen wearing a dark swimming costume and sunglasses. She was pictured talking to her husband Christos, who is Greek, who is pictured in the snap wearing a white cap. Mr Bourda was asleep when she disappeared at around midday on August 1. He then raised the alarm before racing to a local shop to ask if staff had seen her. Speaking to Protothema, the shopkeeper said: "The couple were together and at some point the husband fell asleep and it seems that the wife went in to swim. When the husband woke up and didn't see her next to him, he came to the store and asked us if we had seen his wife, who had disappeared. "He also told us that his wife was not very well, and that she had problems." As reported in the Mirror, Mr Bourda was understandably "stressed" when he entered the shop, the man said, as the hunt for his missing wife continues. Greek missing persons charity Lifeline Hellas put out a Silver Alert later that day 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." Michele is described as having straight blonde hair down to her shoulders, hazel eyes, is 1.73m (5ft 6in) tall and is thin. 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.' A summer sports instructor said he saw someone who matched Michele's description swimming near the beach on Friday. He said the woman didn't appear to be in difficulty in the water. Michele was described as very adventurous and active today. Her neighbours in Glasgow said she likes hiking and swimming in cold water. One neighbour told Mail Online: "They've got bikes, and are quite active. They like to go walking, they like to go wild swimming. They would go, and they would often be away for the whole day in the summer. "Then if we saw them coming in and out and they would say, 'oh, we've been somewhere up north and we were swimming'. And I would see her sometimes sit and reading in the garden." The friends said they often see Michele and husband Christos out walking with backpacks on or loading the car for another day trip in the wild. Another neighbour added: "They've couple are very private and kept themselves to themselves. She is very quiet and timid and he is a bit more commanding. "They moved to Glasgow about six years ago because their son is studying here. They are retired and tend to go everywhere together even though they have two cars. They are quite guarded and private but I'm very shocked that she has gone missing." Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Daily Mail
'Last sighting' of British woman who vanished from Greek sunbed is revealed: Image shows wife enjoying snack with husband shortly before disappearing while he slept
A British woman who went missing in Greece five days ago was last pictured with her husband - just three hours before her disappearance. Michele Ann Joy Bourda, 59, had been swimming at Ofrynio beach in the city of Kavala at around noon on Friday before she went missing. Greek news outlet ANT1 has released an image believed to be of the Brit woman showing her relaxing and enjoying a snack on the beach with her husband Christos. The couple had gone to the beach in the early morning and had spent several hours there when Mrs Bourda's husband, who is Greek, fell asleep. He woke up to find that his wife had disappeared from her sunlounger and asked the owners of a nearby shop if they had seen his wife, to who he reportedly revealed that Mrs Bourda 'was not very well'. Speaking to Greek outlet Protothema, one of the shop owners said: 'The couple were together and at some point the husband fell asleep and it seems that the wife went in to swim. 'When the husband woke up and didn't see her next to him, he came to the store and asked us if we had seen his wife, who had disappeared. 'He also told us that his wife was not very well, and that she had problems.' The shop keeper went on to say that Mrs Bourda's husband 'was a bit stressed' and told them that 'his wife had done this before, that is, she had disappeared.' 'This is what he told us, that she had gotten lost again and that she wasn't very well, the woman had problems'. Police have been searching on land for the tourist, while Greece 's Hellenic Coast Guard have been scouring the sea, but the central port authority in Kavala last night said it had paused its targeted search and rescue efforts. A Silver Alert was issued after the police failed to immediately locate the tourist and authorities have warned that she may be in danger. Silver Alerts are usually used to notify citizens about the disappearance of elderly people, especially those with dementia or Alzheimer's. A fitness instructor earlier said that he saw a woman that resembled Mrs Bourda swimming in the sea in deep waters and said that he urged her to not go any further in case she got out of her depth, other reports said. Her belonging were left behind on her sun lounger after she vanished. Mrs Bourda, described as timid by her neighbours in Glasgow, was said to very adventurous and active. One said: 'She has always dressed in walking gear with a fleece and boots or a cagoule. She is really into the outdoors.' Neighbours would regularly see her and her husband Christos out walking with backpacks on as they loaded the car for another day trip in the wild. One of her neighbours said: 'They've got bikes, and are quite active. They like to go walking, they like to go wild swimming. 'They would go, and they would often be away for the whole day in the summer, and then if we saw them coming in and out and they would say, "oh, we've been somewhere up north and we were swimming". And I would see her sometimes sit and reading in the garden.' Those who lived nearby admitted they were shocked upon hearing that Michele had been reported missing while holidaying in Greece. Another added: 'They've couple are very private and keep themselves to themselves. She is very quiet and timid and he is a bit more commanding. They moved to Glasgow about six years ago because their son is studying here.' 'They are retired and tend to go everywhere together even though they have two cars. They are quite guarded and private but I'm very shocked that she has gone missing.' A map shows how the 10.5-mile-long Greek beach where Mrs Bourda vanished after lounging on a sunbed is surrounded by expansive fields, residential houses and a huge fishing pond. Mrs Bourda was last seen wearing a rhinestone-embellished two-piece beaded swimsuit, yellow beach shoes and a pair of red horn-rimmed sunglasses. It is understood she went to the beach in northern Greece with her Greek husband, who was asleep when she vanished. When he woke up, his wife was nowhere to be found, according to local media. She is described as being 5ft 6in, of a slim build with blue eyes and shoulder-length hair. The Greek missing persons charity, Lifeline Hellas, issued a Silver Alert on Saturday after the police were unable to locate her. 'Her life is in danger. If you know anything, contact the Silver Alert service, 24 hours a day, at the National SOS Line 1065,' the alert said. The Daily Mail contacted the FCDO for comment on whether the UK Government was assisting in the search for Ms Bourda. It comes after a 60-year-old British tourist went missing in June while on holiday in Greece. His hired car was found abandoned on the island of Karpathos in 38C heat and he was last seen by the owner of his rented accommodation on June 27. Meanwhile, fears are growing for a British woman who disappeared from a Spanish tourist hotspot last week. Jennifer Frances Lacey, 41, vanished from the municipality of Vera on Monday, July 28. Her disappearance was reported by the SOS Missing Persons Association on Thursday and she is described as measuring 5ft 2in, having curly brown hair, blue eyes and wearing prescription glasses. A Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office spokesman told the Daily Mail: 'We are supporting the family of a British woman who was reported missing in Spain.' At least ten foreign tourists were found dead or disappeared last year in Greece while going for a hike, often in high temperatures, the New York Times reported. It also comes days after the search for an elderly British man who went missing on a trip to ancient Turkish tombs ended in tragedy. Following a three-day search in and around the ancient tombs of Kaunos in Turkey for the 79-year-old, investigators found a body. The man was reported missing by his daughter, who he travelled with to Çandır, a village in Muğla's Köyceğiz district in southwestern Turkey, for a holiday together on July 26. At 10.30am that day, her father began a trip by rowboat to the nearby rock-cut temple tombs of Kaunos, also known as the Lycian rock tombs, but she lost contact with him and has not heard from his since. Following his daughter's report, Turkish authorities launched a search for the man with a 19-person team, consisting of the Köyceğiz Gendarmerie District Command, Muğla AFAD and an NGO.
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Daily Mail
British woman who vanished from Greek beach while her husband slept in the sun 'was used to swimming in cold water and going on hours-long hikes', neighbours say
A British woman who vanished from her sunlounger on a beach in Greece while her husband was asleep was 'used to swimming in cold water', and would often spend a whole day rambling and exploring in the countryside, her neighbours said today. Michele Ann Joy Bourda, 59, from Glasgow had been swimming at Ofrynio beach in the city of Kavala in Greece at around noon on Friday before disappearing. Police have been conducting a major search for her. She has now been missing for over three days. Greece's Hellenic Coast guard have been keeping up the general search efforts but a targeted land and sea search for her has now ceased, according to the central port authority in Kavala. A summer sports instructor who was on the beach at the time she went missing also said he spoke to someone who matched her description. He said he saw her swimming in deep waters and said he had urged her not to swim out any further. Her belongings were left behind on her sun lounger after she vanished. Michele, though described as timid by her neighbours in Glasgow, was said to be very adventurous and active. One said: 'She has always dressed in walking gear with a fleece and boots or a cagoule. She is really into the outdoors.' Neighbours would regularly see her and her husband Christos out walking with backpacks on as they loaded the car for another day trip in the wild. One of her neighbours said: 'They've got bikes, and are quite active. They like to go walking, they like to go wild swimming. 'They would go, and they would often be away for the whole day in the summer, and then if we saw them coming in and out and they would say, "oh, we've been somewhere up north and we were swimming". And I would see her sometimes sit and reading in the garden.' Those who lived nearby admitted they were shocked upon hearing that Michele had been reported missing while holidaying in Greece. Another added: 'They've couple are very private and keep themselves to themselves. She is very quiet and timid and he is a bit more commanding. They moved to Glasgow about six years ago because their son is studying here.' 'They are retired and tend to go everywhere together even though they have two cars. They are quite guarded and private but I'm very shocked that she has gone missing.' It comes after it was revealed her husband warned locals that his wife was 'not very well' and had 'disappeared before' as he frantically asked for help trying to find her after she vanished. Her husband, who is Greek, had been sleeping and woke up to find that she had vanished from the beach. He reportedly asked the owners of a nearby shop if they had seen his wife, and revealed that Mrs Bourda 'was not very well'. Speaking to Greek outlet Protothema, one of the shop owners said: 'The couple were together and at some point the husband fell asleep and it seems that the wife went in to swim. 'When the husband woke up and didn't see her next to him, he came to the store and asked us if we had seen his wife, who had disappeared. 'He also told us that his wife was not very well, and that she had problems.' The shop keeper went on to say that Mrs Bourda's husband 'was a bit stressed' and told them that 'his wife had done this before, that is, she had disappeared.'
