Nicola Bulley's family find police river theory 'hard to contemplate'

February 3, 2023

Nicola Bulley’s family find police theory that the missing mother slipped into the river ‘hard to contemplate’ as they still cling to hopes that she is alive amid concerns she toppled into water trying to retrieve tennis ball for her dog

Nicola Bulley’s family are finding the police theory that she fell into the river ‘hard to contemplate’ as they cling to hope that she is still alive.

Police expressed concerns that the missing mother-of-two may have wound up in the icy cold water on River Wyre while trying to retrieve her dog Willow’s tennis ball.

If this is the case and Ms Bulley did fall into the water, she may have been weighed down by the heavy clothing she was wearing on the day she vanished.

While police are still investigating how or why she may have ended up in the water, their lead theory is that for some as yet unknown reason, she did enter the river on the morning of Friday January 27, shortly after dropping her daughters, aged six and nine, at school.

Since then Ms Bulley’s distraught family have been clinging to hopes she may still be alive. In the early stages of the investigation they questioned whether it was possible she had been taken, and reportedly even considered if she’d staged her own disappearance.

Police expressed concerns that the missing mother-of-two may have wound up in the icy cold water on River Wyre while trying to retrieve her dog Willow’s tennis ball

Willow was known to play with a ball in the area – and even sometimes the river – as evidenced by Ms Bulley’s Strava account pictures

Last night they were finding the candid police assessment ‘hard to contemplate’ but continued to hold onto hope, the Mail was told.

Ms Bulley’s desperate parents, sister, partner and daughters have all been living a nightmare over the past week. Partner Paul Ansell, a 44-year-old company director, said he shared the bewilderment of millions who had followed the agonising mystery since his partner of 12 years disappeared.

At the scene yesterday he said: ‘My whole focus is my two girls, just staying as strong as I can for them. I’m scared that if I put focus into anything else it’s going to take my focus off that.

‘I just can’t believe we’re a week on, and it seems like we’re no further on. It just seems absolutely impossible. Like a dream. I cannot get my head around it. Right now it’s like she’s vanished into thin air, it’s insane.’

Friend Luke Sumner acknowledged the evidence thus far does appear to point to the river.

‘It’s very, very wet, the banks can be quite steep in certain areas, and the current can be quite fast,’ he told Radio 4’s PM. But he said family and friends continued ‘clinging to any hope there is’.

But while police have publicly said they believe Ms Bulley likely fell into the river, they still haven’t entirely ruled out other options.

Substantial CCTV in the region has all but ruled out she exited the park from most of the surrounding gates.

But there is one area they’re yet to investigate.

Ms Bulley’s distraught partner attempted to remain composed as he told the media he was trying to protect his daughters

Pictured: Ms Bulley’s devastated parents Ernie and Dot, and sister Louise

Pictured: Ms Bulley’s distraught partner, Paul Ansell

Police believe Ms Bulley fell into the water, potentially trying to retrieve a toy for her dog

Lancashire Police Superintendent Sally Riley told the Lancashire Post: ‘Several exits of the riverside area have CCTV covering them or exits are locked and therefore couldn’t have been passed through by Nicola.

‘There’s only a very small area onto Garstang Lane toward the A5/A6 which is not covered by CCTV and that’s why we’re appealing today for dashcam footage or for people who may have been walking on Garstang Lane or driving in the area to come forward if they can.’

The mother-of-two, 45, was last seen wearing an ankle-length black quilted gilet jacket, a black Engelbert Strauss waist-length coat, tight-fitting jeans and green wellies.

She had a pale blue Fitbit strapped to her wrist as she took her Spaniel, Willow, on a brisk walk through River Wyre – a route she took often after dropping her two daughters to school nearby.

Speaking to MailOnline following a press conference in the village of St Michael’s on Wyre, Supt Riley said officers were looking at all scenarios.

Nicola Bulley kept a harness on her dog for walks – prompting questions about why it was found near to where she vanished. Police insisted it was normal for Nicola

Police divers from North West Police Underwater Unit returned to the River Wyre today to continue scouring the riverbed for clues

Nicola Bulley’s daughters ‘miss their mummy’ as they point out their hair ‘was not done how she does it’: READ MORE

But she admitted it was ‘possible’ that Ms Bulley fell into the River Wyre while attempting to retrieve a tennis ball for her dog close to the water’s edge.

Ms Bulley posted numerous images of herself exercising along the same stretch of the River Wyre to where she was last seen last on the running tracking app Strava.

In a couple of the photos Willow is seen playing with the ball.

Superintendent Riley said: ‘I’m not aware of a dog ball being retrieved but it’s possible that a ball could have rolled down the steep bank close to the edge of the water and Ms Bulley was bending down to pick it up.

‘What she was wearing could also be a factor.

‘I don’t wish to speculate but the facts are that she was wearing a quilted, ankle-length gilet, which is a big coat, and underneath that there was another coat and then under that coat more clothing.

‘She was also wearing ankle-length wellingtons. One would assume they fill with water when someone enters a river so all of that clothing is heavy, particularly on someone who is of slight build and only 5 foot three.’

Mr Ansell tried to gently break the news of her disappearance to their two daughters, who are now confused and continuing to ask their grandparents when she is coming home

The process of searching the river is tedious and slow moving , but police remain hopeful

They’re seen here moving the boat down into the water to resume the search

And outdoor swimming expert Camilla Golledge told MailOnline the shock of the cold water could also limit a person’s ability to swim to safety.

Ms Bulley’s Strava account reveals route was one she often took

‘We all take these walks and on any given day they go by without incident. Collapses aren’t always predictable, so the surprise will often dictate the way in which a person enters the water, for example head first. Then consider several other factors like shock, undercurrents, debris and clothing.

‘A grown adult can be swept away in as little as 17 inches of fast flowing water. Then consider a swollen and fast flowing river with a lot of loose debris. If a person falls into a river, their clothes will absorb the water and that extra weight would make swimming or staying above the surface very difficult.’

He added: ‘I really hope this young woman is found soon, I walk my dog along a river so know too well that at first glance it’s a lovely place to be.’

Earlier, Supt Riley said detectives are ‘as sure as we can be’ that the missing mother-of-two didn’t leave the riverbank in St Michael’s on Wyre and ‘this is not suspicious but a tragic case of a missing person’.

Supt Riley said they are trying to piece together ‘a ten minute window where we can’t account for her movements’ – from when she was last seen at 9.10am last Friday and when her phone was put down on a bench at 9.20am.

She said: ‘We believe she remained in the riverside area. Our working hypothesis is that she has sadly fallen into the river for some reason. There is no evidence whatsoever that there is anything suspicious about her disappearance or any third-party involvement in her going missing’, adding ‘speculation otherwise is distressing for Nicky’s family.

Police also revealed today:

Detectives believe that Nicola has fallen in the river in a ten minute window between her last sighting and her phone being put down on a bench;
Officers have said they have checked all available CCTV and that Nicola did not leave the area. They are also searching a 10-mile stretch of water to the Irish Sea;
Lancashire Police warned people to be careful on or around the river in the dark, especially anyone trying to help in the search at night;
A sealed off car park near the area where Ms Bulley was last seen is unrelated to the investigation

Ms Bulley’s heartbroken boyfriend spoke for the first time today, saying: ‘It’s like she’s vanished into thin air – it’s insane’.

Paul Ansell, an engineer, said he is focusing on staying strong for their two daughters, who have been asking what has happened to their mother a week on after she disappeared on a dog walk.

Speaking near the scene where Ms Bulley was last seen by the River Wyre in Lancashire, he told broadcasters: ‘My whole focus is my two girls, just staying as strong as I can for them.

‘I’m scared that if I put focus into anything else it’s going to take my focus off that. Just hoping to goodness that anything comes out from the interview yesterday no matter how tiny.’

Pictures of the pet that Ms Bulley shared on exercise app Strava show it regularly wore a harness when it was outside the house

After thanking the local community for its ‘incredible’ support, he added: ‘I just can’t believe we’re a week on and it seems like we’re no further on.

‘It just seems absolutely impossible. Like a dream. I cannot get my head around it. Right now it’s like she’s vanished into thin air, it’s insane.’

Mr Ansell said he ‘cannot get his head around’ her disappearance. He said: ‘Every single scenario comes to a brick wall. Every single one of them.

‘All we are doing is sitting there going round and round and round through each scenario.’

He added he was focusing on looking after their two daughters and ‘didn’t want to think’ about how he was coping.

Yesterday, police issued a public appeal for a woman seen in CCTV wearing a red coat on the River Wyre around the time Ms Bulley vanished last Friday morning.

The 67-year-old woman in a red coat who was the subject of a police witness appeal told officers she did not see Ms Bulley during her walk

MailOnline earlier revealed the 67-year-old woman, Christine Bowman, told police she did not see Ms Bulley during her walk with her own dog Snowflake.

Ms Bowman said she was baffled by the appeal to track her down because she had already spoken to officers on the day Ms Bulley disappeared – and she ‘doesn’t know anything’.

Why hasn’t Nicola Bulley been found in the river and why was her dog’s harness removed? Fifteen vital questions about mother-of-two’s disappearance

The local resident – who police hoped could provide key pieces of information in the search for Ms Bulley – does not travel as far as the bench where the missing mother’s phone and dog were found.

‘The security camera footage that she was caught on was taken from the caravan park next to the towpath.

‘That’s as far as she goes, she doesn’t walk her dog further along the footpath than that point.’

It’s a devastating blow for Ms Bulley’s family, who have been waiting with bated breath for updates in the investigation.

In the appeal to track down the woman yesterday, a spokesman for Lancashire Police said: ‘She is described as wearing a red and white coat with a fur hood, light-coloured trousers and a light bobble hat.

‘She was walking a small, white dog. The woman was seen on CCTV at around 8.48am on Allotment Lane, close to where Nicola was last seen and was also seen near to the gate at the end of Allotment Lane.’

However a friend said: ‘Their paths did not cross, she has no information on where Nicola could be sadly.’

As the investigation extends into an eighth day, a source from St Michael’s Angling Association said the stretch of river where Ms Bulley vanished is notorious and ‘very dangerous’, with a depth of about 15ft.

‘The combination of the depth and how cold it is at this time of year makes it very dangerous,’ he told The Times.

‘I certainly would not want to fall in there and I’m a very strong swimmer.’ Specialist police divers have been painstakingly searching the riverbed for clues.

Officers taped off Skippool Creek car park by the River Wyre in Poulton-le-Fylde, Lancashire, with investigators wearing white forensic suits seen carrying away bags of evidence

Nicola Bulley’s disappearance: A timeline

– January 27

The 45-year-old dropped her daughters – aged six and nine – off at school in the morning before walking her dog, Willow, in St Michael’s on Wyre, Lancashire.

Lancashire Police have said the mortgage adviser, from nearby Inskip, had been walking along a path beside the River Wyre just before 9am.

She was seen by a dog walker who knew her at around 8.50am, and their pets interacted briefly before they parted ways, according to the force.

At 8.53am, Ms Bulley sent an email to her boss, before logging on to a Microsoft Teams call at 9.01am. She was seen by a second witness at 9.10am – the last known sighting.

By 9.30am, Ms Bulley’s Teams call had ended, but her phone stayed connected to the call. Approximately five minutes later, another dog walker found her phone on a bench beside the river, with Willow darting between the two.

At 10.50am, Ms Bulley’s family and the school attended by her children were told about her disappearance.

Lancashire Constabulary launched an investigation into Ms Bulley’s whereabouts on the same day and appealed for witnesses to contact them.

– January 28

Lancashire Constabulary deployed drones, helicopters and police search dogs as part of the major missing person operation.

They were assisted by Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service, as well as Bowland Pennine Mountain Rescue team and the North West Underwater Search Team.

– January 29

Local residents held a meeting at the village hall to organise a search for Ms Bulley at 10.30am on Sunday, according to reports from The Mirror, and around 100 people joined the search.

Police urged volunteers to exercise caution, describing the river and its banks as ‘extremely dangerous’ and saying that activity in these areas presented ‘a genuine risk to the public’.

– January 30

Superintendent Sally Riley from Lancashire Constabulary said police were ‘keeping a really open mind about what could have happened’, and that they were not treating Ms Bulley’s disappearance as suspicious.

– January 31

Lancashire Constabulary spoke with a potential witness – a man who had been walking a small white fluffy dog near the River Wyre at the time of Ms Bulley’s disappearance.

Her family released a statement saying they had been ‘overwhelmed by the support’ in their community, and that her daughters were ‘desperate to have their mummy back home safe’.

– February 1

Ms Bulley’s parents, Ernest and Dot Bulley, spoke to The Mirror about the ‘horror’ they faced over the possibility of never seeing her again.

Her father told the newspaper: ‘We just dread to think we will never see her again, if the worst came to the worst and she was never found, how will we deal with that for the rest of our lives.’

– February 2

Lancashire Constabulary spoke with a second witness who they had identified with the help of the public using CCTV – but they told police they did not have any further information to aid their inquiry.

Officers from the North West Police Underwater and Marine support unit searched the area close to where Ms Bulley’s mobile phone was found, while police divers scoured the River Wyre.

Meanwhile, Ms Bulley’s family appealed to the public for help tracing her. Speaking with Sky News, her sister Louise Cunningham said: ‘There has got to be somebody who knows something and all we are asking is, no matter how small or big, if there is anything you remember that doesn’t seem right, then please reach out to the police.

‘Get in touch and get my sister back.’ Ms Bulley’s father said that his family hoped their interview would ‘spark a light’ that would lead to her being found.

– February 3

Lancashire Police said they were working on the hypothesis that Ms Bulley may have fallen into the River Wyre.

Superintendent Sally Riley urged against speculation, but said it was ‘possible’ that an ‘issue’ with Ms Bulley’s dog may have led her to the water’s edge.

She urged the public to look out for items of clothing Ms Bulley was last seen wearing, and gave an extensive list.

Ms Bulley’s friends also shared heartfelt appeals via television interviews, including Emma White, who told the BBC that Ms Bulley’s daughters were continually asking where she was.

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Nicola Bulley's family find police river theory 'hard to contemplate'

Nicola Bulley’s family find police theory that the missing mother slipped into the river ‘hard to contemplate’ as they still cling to hopes that she is alive amid concerns she toppled into water trying to retrieve tennis ball for her dog

Nicola Bulley’s daughters ‘miss their mummy’ as they point out their hair ‘was not done how she does it’: READ MORE

READ MORE: Friends fear Nicola Bulley ‘slipped down steep and muddy riverbank’ while walking her dog

Ms Bulley’s Strava account reveals route was one she often took

Why hasn’t Nicola Bulley been found in the river and why was her dog’s harness removed? Fifteen vital questions about mother-of-two’s disappearance

Nicola Bulley’s disappearance: A timeline