Retiree Michele Ann Joy Bourda disappeared from beach in the city of Kavala five days ago, while her husband was asleep.
16:44, 06 Aug 2025Updated 16:45, 06 Aug 2025
Michele Bourda went missing while her husband slept (Image: EPT News)
Fears are growing for a mum who vanished from her sun lounger in Greece while her husband was sleeping.
Michele Ann Joy Bourda, who lives in Glasgow, has not been seen since she went missing from a beach in the city of Kavala at around noon on Friday.
A major search was launched after 59-year-old’s Greek husband Christos woke to find her gone and her possessions left behind.
Now worried neighbours of the pair, who have lived in Crookston for several years after moving from England to be close to their son, have shared their shock at the news.
One told the Record: “It’s just horrendous. I can’t imagine what the family are going through.
Michele vanished on Friday(Image: Lifeline Hellas)
“The more days that pass by the likelihood of finding her well gets less and less.
“They were just trying to enjoy their retirement.”
Michele was last seen on a sun bed at Ofryni beach on August 1, where she had been lying by her husband.
Mr Bourda is said to have woken up to find her missing and her belongings abandoned before raising the alarm .
There had been reports that Michele had been seen swimming out at sea prior to her disappearance but no sign of her was found despite a major search operation by Greece’s Hellenic Coast Guard.
It is reported that three recreational craft, five fishing boats as well as two patrol boats were involved in looking for her.
Greek missing persons charity Lifeline Hellas put out a Silver Alert after police were unable to locate her.
It read: “Her life is in danger. If you know anything, contact the Silver Alert service.”
The mum was wearing a dark two-piece swimsuit with rhinestones, yellow beach shoes and red sunglasses when she vanished.
On Tuesday, a fresh image released to the media in Greece showed her eating alongside her husband at a beach-side restaurant on the morning of her disappearance.
A new picture of the Michele has been released (Image: ANT1)
A local shopkeeper told the Greek media that Michele’s husband had visited his store looking for his wife soon after she vanished.
There was no one at the couple’s four-bed, detached home in Crookston on Wednesday, but neighbours shared their fears over the length of the search.
John and Catherine Ross said they were thinking of Michele’s husband and son.
John said: “Of course we’re thinking of them. It’s a horrible thing to go through. I hope their son is ok.
“It’s been a long time now to be missing but we will keep hoping for the most positive outcome.”
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Catherine added: “They are very quiet and keep themselves to themselves but will always put Christmas cards through. “They moved here because their son was studying at university.
“It’s shocking. Our thoughts are with them.”
Michele went missing from the Ofrynio beach area(Image: Google)
Another neighbour described Michele as “quiet” and “quite socially awkward” and said the couple had a property in Greece and would often holiday there for a couple of months in the summer.
They said: “They are very private and are very much home bods. It’s always just the two of them. They are polite and friendly and Michele is the quieter of the two.
“They are very outdoorsy and active. They go out hillwalking and wild swimming.
“I feel like the longer this goes on the less likely it is that she will be found ok.”
Another resident of the quiet cul-de-sac said: “It’s a shock that this has happened to a neighbour and obviously the longer it goes on the more you worry about the outcome.”
The British embassy in Greece shared a notice on Facebook which said: “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.”