THE devastated husband of a Brit found dead weeks after she vanished from a sunbed has made a heartbreaking revelation.
Michele Bourda, 59, was found dead over a month after vanishing in Greece – with her partner Chris, 66, telling how he had to identify her “by her bones”.
EnterpriseMichele Ann Joy Bourda, 59, disappeared from the beach of Ofryni, Kavala, Greece[/caption]
CollectChris, 66, said he was asleep when she vanished[/caption]
CollectThe Brit mum’s remains were found earlier this week[/caption]
Chris also slammed cops for being “criminally slow” during the start of the search effort.
Tragic Michele vanished on August 1 while Chris slept on a lounger at Ofrynio beach in Kavala.
Her belongings – including glasses, medication and even her towel – were left behind.
Mum-of-one Michele, from Glasgow, was last seen wearing a two-piece beaded swimsuit, yellow beach shoes, and red sunglasses, according to authorities.
Distraught Chris alerted police immediately but slammed officers as “useless”, claiming they failed to search the water until the evening.
Officers have located his wife’s remains on the tiny island of Fidonisi, 40km down the coast.
Police said her corpse was spotted by a passing yacht.
Authorities soon after confirmed the remains belonged to Michele following a formal identification.
Greek-born pharmacist Chris told local outlet Protothema on Saturday: “Identification happened earlier today.
“I am utterly devastated. I did what I could to recognise my wife because she was only bones… It’s a tragedy.”
He added that he would be pressing charges against local authorities because of the way they had handled the case.
Blasting officials, Chris said: “The investigation was not conducted properly.
“I have already filed a complaint against the police and the coastguard because they were criminally slow in dealing with my wife’s disappearance.”
He added: “Valuable time was lost and she could still be alive.”
Chris and Michele were both university students in Germany 36 years ago when they met.
Devastated Chris told the Daily Mail after his wife’s remains were found earlier this week: “Sadly I was expecting this.”
Chris previously told how he was laughed at and had his pleas for help dismissed.
He said: “She had seemed quite happy that day. We went for a short swim as it was windy and there were a few waves.
“She then ordered a few crepes and said we could have a nice sleep after.
“Unfortunately I fell asleep first and when I woke up she wasn’t there.”
Panicked, he scoured the beach, checked the toilets and asked nearby holidaymakers if they had seen her.
When he asked a waiter if his wife was missing, he said the staffer laughed.
Only after he explained she had “psychological problems” did they take him seriously.
A shopkeeper then rang the police – who took two hours to arrive.
ANT1Chris and Michele were holidaying at the time[/caption]
“The police didn’t do anything on the day,” he said.
“One guest who was there that day said she didn’t see any police and I didn’t see any police that day either, not one single policeman at the beach.
“The only thing I saw was a police car driving up and down the road to the beach. Not getting out of the car, just looking in the direction of the sea.”
Chris accused cops of failing to use dogs, drones or helicopters and said boats were only deployed in the early morning or night “so as not to disturb or concern the tourists.”
The pharmacist, who also lodged a complaint with the British Embassy in Athens, said he felt abandoned.
He explained: “The police are not bothered, they sit in their office in the shade or I’ve seen others just standing in the shade under some trees.
“That’s how they work. When I visited the station there were just five of them sitting there playing on their phones.”
While furious with Greek authorities, he also pointed to failures at home.
“If she had seen a psychiatrist much earlier and got the relevant medication then she would have still been alive,” he said.
Michele, who had worked for BT and a local council, had long battled depression and anxiety and had once gone missing in London after being made redundant, but was found quickly that time.
The couple had been enjoying a six-week holiday after visiting family.
“We were talking the other day and she was saying how happy our 40 years together [were] and I said yes, we will hopefully have another 40 years in front of us,” Chris said.
EPT NEWSThe mum-of-one was found by a passing yacht[/caption]
Lifeline HellasGreek authorities were accused by Chris of acting too slow[/caption]