A BRIT tourist who mysteriously vanished from a sunbed on a Greek beach drowned, authorities confirmed.
Michele Bourda, 59, left all her belongings behind when she suddenly disappeared as her husband Chris slept next to her on August 1.
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Earlier this week, a passing yacht spotted her remains floating off Fidonisi Island 40km down the coast – more than a month after she was last seen.
Medical experts ruled out foul play while also confirming she almost certainly died “as a result of drowning”.
Forensic scientist Nikos Kifnidis said: “There were no other injuries … I have concluded her death was a result of drowning in the water.”
Kifnidis added: “The swimsuit she was wearing, bought in the UK, size 14, was central to her being identified.”
He also said that evidence of an operation on her chest was crucial to the identification process.
The tragic update comes after her husband Chris, made the heartbreaking revelation that he had to identify Michele “by her bones”.
The Brit holidaymaker also slammed cops for being “criminally slow” during the search, adding that he had pressed charges against local authorities for their handling of the case.
Mum-of-one Michele 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.
She 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.
After her remains were found more than 40km from where she was last seen, her cause of death was revealed as drowning.
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.”
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.
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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.
“The police didn’t do anything on the day,” he said.
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“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.”
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.
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