A BRITISH woman who vanished from a Greek beach while her husband slept was “used to swimming in cold water” and loved hours-long hikes, neighbours have said.
Michele Ann Joy Bourda, 59, disappeared on Friday from Ofrynio beach in Kavala, in northern Greece .
Michele was said to have been temporarily residing in the town of Serres, and had been enjoying a summer holiday with her Greek husband before she went missing.
She had reportedly gone for a swim while her husband was napping nearby.
Michele’s disappearance has sparked an extensive land and sea search that has now entered its fifth day.
Authorities have since halted targeted coastal operations, with the Greek police now leading the investigation into her baffling disappearance.
The Brit was last seen wearing a two-piece beaded swimsuit , yellow beach shoes, and red sunglasses.
Her belongings were reportedly left behind on her sun lounger .
Neighbours back in Glasgow described Michele as reserved but physically active.
One resident told the Daily Mail : “She has always dressed in walking gear with a fleece and boots or a cagoule.
“She is really into the outdoors.”
“She’s very quiet and timid,” another added, “but they like to go walking, they like to go wild swimming .
“They would often be away for the whole day in the summer.”
The couple reportedly moved to the Scottish town six years ago to be closer to their son and are said to be “quite private” and “guarded”, according to locals.
Michele’s husband, Christos, allegedly woke up to find his wife missing and frantically sought help from locals .
A nearby shop owner told Greek outlet Protothema : “The couple were together and at some point the husband fell asleep, and it seems that the wife went in to swim.
“When the husband woke up and didn’t see her next to him, he came to the store and asked us if we had seen his wife, who had disappeared.”
The same shopkeeper added the husband appeared “a bit stressed” and claimed Michele had disappeared before.
A summer sports instructor who was on the beach around the time of her disappearance claimed he saw a woman matching her description swimming far out in deep waters .
He reportedly urged her not to go any further, according to LBC.
Despite days of intense coastal and underwater searches by the Hellenic Coast Guard, no trace of the Brit mum has been found.
A coast guard spokesperson confirmed on Monday that patrol boats were sweeping the entire Strymonian Gulf, but a targeted search near the beach had ended.
One insider told The Sun: “It’s very odd that after so many days, nothing has been found.
“We now have to ask why she continued swimming out so far.”
Authorities have since issued a Silver Alert, warning that her “life is in danger” and confirming that “no signs” of her have been located.
Greek police are now pursuing all leads, with the investigation shifting focus to what led up to her disappearance.
A full-scale probe remains underway.
The British embassy in Greece has also put out a missing person notice, urging anyone with information to come forward.
