British woman Michele Ann Joy Bourda was last seen over a fortnight ago on a sunbed on a Greek beach, with her belongings still there when she went missing
The chances of finding missing Michele Ann Joy Bourda are decreasing by the day, and Greek police must act fast with two important steps to solve the mystery, according to a leading expert.
On the afternoon of August 1, Michele’s husband, Christos Bourda, dozed off on a sunbed on Ofrynio Beach in Greece. When he awoke, Michele, who had been sunning herself on the lounger next to him, was nowhere to be seen. Her belongings, including her clothes and bag, remained next to her chair.
The 59-year-old Brit’s whereabouts remain a mystery, and investigators continue to pore over clues as to what could have happened. Michele’s loved ones have spent the last couple of weeks in turmoil as they hope and pray for her safe return.
As the search continues into its third week, Charlie Hedges MBE, who is acknowledged as one of the UK’s foremost experts on missing persons, explained that the longer someone is missing, the less likely they are to be found alive.
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“This is tempered by the circumstances of the disappearance, their personal circumstances and medical history, and what has happened to them,” he told The Mirror.
“Without more detailed knowledge of the circumstances it is very hard to say what may have happened and whether or not she is alive.”
The former police sergeant explained that Greek authorities should be conducting a thorough investigation into what may have caused her to go missing, including her medical history, her relationship with her husband, anything that may have happened to her while she was away, and whether there any reasons for her to want to disappear.
“From this, they should be able to assess whether this is likely to be an accident, any third party involvement or a conscious act on her part.”
A major land and sea search was launched following Michele’s disappearance, with three recreational craft, five fishing boats and two patrol boats scouring the coastline, but no trace has been found.
The Hellenic Coast Guard and local police have also searched farmland, houses and a large reservoir in the surrounding area.
“The exact nature of any searches should be based on information they have about the disappearance and what resources are available in that area,” Mr Hedges said. “There are two obvious search areas – the sea and the land. Both are very different types of environment, requiring different search resources and methods of searching.
“Local knowledge, tide patterns, currents, wind etc will be a factor in trying to determine what would happen to someone in the sea in that particular location. Searches would initially be from boats and possibly from the air. The terrain may lead to the use of sub-aqua searches and/or deployment of sonar detectors. Again, much will depend on what is known and what resources are available.
“On land, this will depend on the terrain but foot searches and drones could be used to search for clues or traces of what may have happened. These should be based on a structured search pattern to ensure that nothing is missed.
“The police will conduct some searches and they may engage volunteer search teams and maritime units to assist. They may also consider search dogs. Exact numbers needed are hard to assess without being on the ground.”
After reports that Michele was last spotted swimming in deep water, Mr Hedges noted that the sea is a challenging environment for searches, which depend hugely on wind, tide and currents.
He added: “There may be some advantage to be had from the potential clarity of the water, providing better visibility for searchers. All searches should start from the point last seen and radiate out based on what information is known or comes to light regarding the disappearance.
“When to stop searching is a difficult decision but will be based on what is known about the disappearance and estimates of survivability before it becomes a search for a body, not a live person.”