British woman who vanished from sunbed in Greece died of drowning, autopsy finds

Greek medical officials said a British woman who disappeared from a sun lounger while her husband slept died from drowning, more than a month after she was first reported missing on Aug. 1.

Michele Bourda, 59, was last seen on Ofrynio beach in the northern Greek city of Kavala, where she and her husband, Chris Bourda, 66, were staying. Her body was later found on Fidonisi, a small privately owned island about 40 kilometres down the coast from where she was last seen, and an autopsy concluded drowning was the probable cause of death, a forensic scientist told British media.

Nikos Kifnidis, a forensic scientist quoted by the British tabloid that first reported the case, said there were no other injuries and that the woman's swimsuit and evidence of a prior chest operation helped confirm her identity. The spokeswoman for Greek authorities did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Mr. Bourda, a pharmacist, said his wife had left all personal items on the sun lounger — including glasses, medication and a towel — and that he had fallen asleep before discovering she was gone. He told reporters he launched his own search after police did not arrive at the scene for about two hours. He accused harbour police of delaying a formal search and of treating the case with insufficient urgency, saying authorities told him initially that she had disappeared with an unknown man and that there were no signs of drowning.

"They said they couldn't find her, they claimed she had disappeared with an unknown man, but this was rubbish," Mr. Bourda said. He also said the police told him there was no body and that officers conspicuously did not use dogs or drones during early searches. He alleged the search boat was used only at night or in the early morning to avoid alarming tourists. Greek police statements on their early response could not be immediately verified.

Mr. Bourda said he believed local attitudes toward foreign tourists affected the response. He also urged improvements in mental health services in Britain, saying his wife had suffered intermittently from depression and anxiety for years and had previously gone missing for a short time while they lived in London. He said he did not know whether she intended to harm herself and that he had last seen her in high spirits earlier on the day she vanished.

The couple had travelled to Greece after visiting family in Germany and had planned to stay at the resort for six weeks. They married 36 years earlier after meeting at university in Germany and lived in Glasgow.

Local witnesses, Mr. Bourda said, told him they had not seen police on the beach on the day she disappeared. He described asking staff at a nearby restaurant and receiving what he said were unsympathetic responses before someone finally contacted police on his behalf. He said that when he visited a hospital seeking information, staff told him that a number of incidents occurred at the beach and that the area could be dangerous.

Greek authorities have not publicly released details of the search timeline, the circumstances of the recovery, or an official identification statement. The forensic assessment reported in British media said the swimsuit she was wearing, purchased in the United Kingdom, and evidence of a prior chest operation played central roles in confirming her identity.

Mr. Bourda said his wife had experienced episodes of depression and anxiety in the past, and that while she had been recovering since February she had not fully disclosed the extent of her condition. He recalled that on one earlier occasion in London the police located her the same night she went missing; that episode, he said, ended without serious injury.

The case has drawn attention in Britain because of the circumstances of the disappearance and the length of time before her body was found. The couple's neighbours and former colleagues have not issued public statements. Officials in Greece and the United Kingdom did not immediately provide additional details about the investigation or the circumstances leading to the drowning.

Mr. Bourda said he continued to press for answers about the initial search response and paid tribute to his wife's memory, describing their life together and the family they shared. He has called for improved mental health care and for authorities to treat missing-person reports involving foreign tourists with greater urgency to prevent similar tragedies from recurring.