British woman vanishes from Greek beach with urgent search started

The search for a missing British woman in Greece has intensified as authorities have sent out urgent missing person reports.

Reports detailed that Michele Ann Joy Bourda, 59, vanished last Friday evening (1 August) while on a beach in Kavala, northern Greece. She was in the Ofrynio beach area, report Sky, with the coastguard now looking at reports stating that her belongings were found on the beach.

The Hellenic Coastguard confirmed that they had received reports about her disappearance on the evening itself. Local media reported that Bourda lived with her husband, who is of Greek origin, in Serres, Macedonia.

It is believed that the Brit went to the beach with her husband and vanished while he was sleeping on a sunbed. The 59-year-old's disappearance resulted in the involvement of three recreational crafts, five fishing boats, and two patrol boats in the search.

The 59-year-old was last seen on a beach in Kavala (Getty Stock Image)

Local charity Lifeline Hellas released a missing persons report which detailed that the woman was last seen on Ofryni beach at midday on 1 August, which said that she vanished from the beach 'where she had gone swimming with her husband'.

It is said that Bourda has a slim build with straight blonde shoulder-length hair and hazel eyes. She is also five feet and six inches tall, and was sporting a two-piece swimsuit with 'rhinestones, yellow beach shoes, and red, bone-rimmed sunglasses', according to the charity.

An alert was first sent out on Saturday 2 August by the charity, with the British Embassy also sharing the alert on Facebook.

It read, in full: “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.”

Authorities are still in the process of conducting a search on the beach and in the sea in attempts to find her.

Lifeline Hellas also urged locals to contact their Silver Alert service via the Greek SOS Line 1065.

A silver alert is usually issued when missing people are sufering from Alzheimers and other forms of dementia, as reported by the Guardian.

The 59-year-old is yet to be found (Lifeline Hellas)

Greek officials had not come to a decision on whether or not to continue their search and rescue operation on Monday evening (4 August).

One official stated: “Hope dies last.

“Any scenario would be guessing at this point, and it is too early to make any decision.”

LADbible has reached out to Lifeline Hellas, the Hellenic Coastguard and Hellenic Police for comment.