Brit's Death Cause Revealed One Month After Sunbed Disappearance

A Tragic Disappearance and a Husband’s Anguish

A British woman who disappeared for a month after vanishing from a sunbed while her husband was asleep has been found dead, with the cause of death confirmed as drowning. Michele Bourda, 59, went missing on August 1 at Ofrynio beach in the Greek city of Kavala, leaving behind all her belongings, including her glasses, medication, and even her towel, while her husband, Chris, 66, slept.

Her body was discovered more than a month later on a small, privately owned island called Fidonisi, approximately 40 kilometers down the coast from where she was last seen. An autopsy conducted by forensic scientist Nikos Kifnidis confirmed that she died from drowning. He noted that there were no other injuries, and the swimsuit she was wearing—purchased in the UK—played a key role in identifying her. Additionally, evidence of a previous chest operation helped confirm her identity.

Mr. Bourda remains uncertain whether his wife, who struggled with depression and anxiety, intentionally harmed herself. The devastated pharmacist, who launched an urgent search for his wife after waking up to find her missing, criticized Greek harbor police for their lack of action. He claimed they did not start searching until late at night, which he believes delayed the discovery of her body.

“I don’t know what effect that had,” he said. “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.”

He also expressed frustration over the slow response time, noting that it took three hours for authorities to write up a missing person’s report before beginning 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 wasn’t the case. She would not have gone off without her money, her glasses or her medication.”

Mr. Bourda believes that if the police had acted more urgently, his wife might have been found earlier. He also suggested that the delay may have been influenced by the fact that she was a foreigner. “If they are a foreigner, they do not care about you here,” he said.

While placing most of the blame on Greek authorities, he also called for improvements in mental health services in the UK. “The problem is the health system in the UK as well,” he added. “If she had seen a psychiatrist much earlier and got the relevant medication, then she would have still been alive.”

Michele had suffered from intermittent episodes of depression and anxiety for years. She had previously gone missing when they lived in London after being made redundant, but the police acted quickly and found her that night. However, she became ill again in February and was in the process of recovering, appearing in high spirits at the time of her disappearance.

The couple had traveled to Greece after a two-week break visiting Mr. Bourda’s family in Germany, seeking to escape the gray weather in Glasgow, where they now live. They had planned to stay at the beach resort for six weeks to enjoy the summer. Their first few days in Kavala were spent wandering around the city, with Mr. Bourda recalling how happy his wife seemed the night before she vanished.

“She was holding my hand and you would never think anything was wrong,” he said. “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.”

Despite his efforts, Mr. Bourda faced challenges in getting help from local authorities and residents. He described being treated unkindly, with one restaurant employee questioning why he was brought there to ask about his wife. “People have not been very nice and they have not treated me well.”

The tragedy highlights the emotional toll of such a loss, as well as the importance of timely and effective emergency responses, especially for individuals with mental health struggles.