Michele Bourda, 59, was last seen on a sunbed in the Greek city of Kavala on August 1.
A British woman, who mysteriously disappeared from a sunbed on a beach in Greece, has been confirmed to have died from drowning by the authorities.
Michele Bourda, 59, vanished in the Greek city of Kavala on August 1 while her husband Chris, 66, was asleep on Ofrynio beach. Reports indicate that her belongings were left behind on the beach, and when Chris woke up, she was nowhere to be seen.
The couple, hailing from Glasgow, were enjoying a two-week holiday and had gone for a swim before taking a nap on some nearby sun loungers. Chris disclosed that police officers eventually found his wife’s body on a small, privately owned island called Fidonisi – approximately 40km from the coast where she was last spotted – last week, roughly a month after her disappearance.
Greek police, following their investigation, have ruled out any foul play, stating she almost certainly died “as a result of drowning”. Michele was initially identified due to the tankini she was wearing when she disappeared last month, reports the Mirror.
Chris revealed that her body was discovered without a head, partially clothed and partly consumed by fish. Officers informed Mr Bourda last week that they were “99% sure” it was her.
Following her identification, forensic scientist Nikos Kifnidis told The Sun: “There were no other injuries… I have concluded her death was a result of drowning in the water. The swimsuit she was wearing, bought in the UK, was central to her being identified.”
Mr Kifnidis also mentioned that evidence of a surgery on her chest was crucial to the identification process.
Chris, speaking to local outlet Protothema on Saturday, revealed: “Identification happened earlier today. I am utterly devastated. I did what I could to recognise my wife because she was only bones… it’s a tragedy.”
The grieving husband expressed his frustration at the police investigation, saying: “They have found her body. Sadly I was expecting this. The problem is the harbour police did not start their search until late at night and I don’t know what effect that had. They said they couldn’t find her, they claimed she had disappeared with an unknown man, but this was rubbish.
“I think the harbour police really didn’t do anything and next time something happens like this they should think about it. It shouldn’t take them three hours to write up a missing person’s report before starting the search. They said there were no signs she had drowned, that there was no body, that she was following someone else. But I knew this was not the case. She would not have gone off without her money, her glasses or her medication.”
Recalling his last moments with Michele, Chris shared that she had been “quite happy” the day before she vanished. He recounted: “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.”
He revealed Michele had battled bouts of depression and anxiety for several years. The mother-of-one had previously disappeared briefly whilst the pair were residing in London following redundancy, which triggered a depressive episode.
However, due to police acting quickly, Michele was found that same evening. She became unwell again in February but was on the mend and had been in positive spirits.
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Criticising Greek Police for their sluggish response, Chris stated: “I had only been to the prosecution centre yesterday to complain about how the police and harbour police have handled this. It will be easy to see when I called the telephone line and how long they didn’t do anything for.”
This follows Chris revealing how he was ridiculed when he desperately sought assistance after discovering Michele had disappeared from her sunbed. The frantic husband approached a waiter at a beachside restaurant asking if he had spotted Michele, and alleges he was mocked before finally persuading a shop owner to contact police.
Chris stated he hadn’t witnessed a single police officer on the beach the day his wife vanished – a assertion supported by another hotel guest. A FCDO spokesperson commented: “We are supporting the family of a British woman who died in Greece and are in contact with the local authorities”.
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