Dive Expert Re-Joins Search for Missing Nicola Bulley, Reveals Police Mistake
A diving expert involved in the investigation asserts that police were too quick to conclude that Nicola Bulley was in the River Wyre.
Peter Faulding, who dropped out of the search for the mother of two but offered to rejoin last night, believes police should have maintained an open mind rather than jumping to conclusions.
Dive Expert Re-Joins Search for Missing Nicola Bulley, Reveals Police Mistake. He told the Daily Mail, “I believe the worst mistake the police made was announcing early on that she was in the river, as opposed to saying, ‘let’s maintain open lines of inquiry.'”
This woman was physically fit and familiar with the area; if she had fallen, she could have held on to the bank.
Nicola, a 45-year-old mortgage consultant, vanished on January 27 while walking her dog alongside a river in St. Michaels on Wyre, Lancashire.
ALSO READ: New Developments in Nicola Bulley Missing Person Case: Suspicious Men & New CCTV Evidence
At 9 a.m. that morning, after dropping off her two daughters at school, she joined a work call.
She was last seen at 9:10 a.m. in a field along the River Wyre with her Springer Spaniel Willow.
Approximately 25 minutes later, her phone, which was still connected to the team meeting, the dog, its leash, and its harness were discovered.
Detectives quickly speculated that Nicola, from Inskip, may have fallen into the water by accident and drowned.
However, they insist that they are “open to all possibilities.”
Faulding, who has worked on several prominent cases involving missing persons, joined the search with his Specialist Group International (SGI).
Its members conducted a multi-day search of the water and surrounding area.
Faulding suggested that Nicola’s phone may have been placed on the bench next to the river as a “decoy” after he found no evidence of a third party’s involvement.
ALSO READ: Seven Critical Clues in Search for Missing Nicola Bulley: Expert Detectives Weigh In
The expert, who has located dozens of bodies, including in cases where the police were unsuccessful, stated, “After 25 years of doing this type of work and hundreds of cases, I am utterly perplexed.
“When individuals drown, they typically sink where they are.
“We typically find them within five to ten meters of where they fell, even after several days.
“The police have no evidence.
The only thing they have at the moment is a mobile phone, which they claim could be a decoy.
NOT GIVING UP
SGI offered its services for free to help provide answers to Nicola’s family.
However, despite days of searching, Faulding was unable to locate the mother, so he ended his involvement.
He disclosed last night that he is continuing to consult with the family and has offered to conduct land investigations.
Faulding told The Telegraph, “I’ve offered to investigate the situation in private.”
ALSO READ: Nicola Bulley: Third Week of Hunt Uncovers Insights from Partner’s Interview
“I’m visiting on my own time to discuss investigating other areas without interfering with police operations.
Typically, you conduct land searches because that is what the family desires.
Nicola’s boyfriend Paul Ansell and their friends are convinced that she is not in the river and will likely accept his proposal.
Charlotte Drake, who has lived next door to the couple for five years, said, “We’ve all said since 11 a.m. on the first day, when the police arrived, that… She is not found in that river.
“My gut feeling has not changed. I am convinced Nikki is not in the water.”
Paul, who told Channel 5 that his family was experiencing “unprecedented hell,” added: “As you’re probably aware, extensive searching has been conducted in that river, and the underwater rescue teams have thankfully found nothing.
“In my opinion, I am 100 percent convinced that it is not the river.
“You cannot take your dog for a stroll along a river and then vanish into thin air.”
That day, something happened, something.
ALSO READ: Nicola Bulley’s Partner Refuses to Give Up Hope in Search for Missing Loved One
Other acquaintances have also cast doubt on the hypothesis.
Heather Gibbons stated on Times Radio, “Nikki is an accomplished swimmer.
“She takes this walk often. Typically, she avoids the river on this walk.”
And Nicola’s sister Louise Cunningham wrote on Facebook, “There is no proof whatsoever that she went into the river; it is merely a theory.”
Police are investigating reports that two men attempted to conceal their identities along Nicola’s dog-walking route the day before her disappearance.
A local reported that the two were carrying fishing rods and wore hats or hoods, adding, “It was very strange. It made me feel uneasy
ALSO READ: Nicola Bulley’s Friend Speculates on Two Possible Reasons for Disappearance
Cops are also scouring area surveillance footage and attempting to identify the owner of a shabby-looking red van spotted in front of a barn on the morning Nicola vanished.
Denis Rowlandson, 47, a tree surgeon, said, “I don’t know anyone with a red van who should be parked outside or near the entrance of that barn.”
“There is no reason to be there without my permission.”
Anyone with information is asked to call 101 and reference log 473 for the 27th of January.
Dial 999 for immediate sightings.
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