Found Deceased UK - Nicola Bulley, 45, last seen walking her dog on footpath by the river, Inskip, Lancashire, 27 Jan 2023

[Potato80]

I agree with everyone who says she's most likely in the river.

However, there's something odd about her phone being on the bench and it still being connected to her online meeting.

If she accidentally fell into the river, why did she walk towards it while leaving her phone on the bench?

If she voluntarily got into the river - why? Unless her dog was stuck in the river, I can't see a reason why she would go into it.

 

[Tortoise]

Not the exact location but pretty close: River Wyre at St Michaels: River level and flood alerts

Thank you. Do we know if there is any deviation or drop in the river bed at that spot, given the DANGER DEEP WATER sign just there?

 

[Petrocelli]

I wonder if there’s a dog waste bin by the caravan park entrance where Willow was found as that could be a scenario you would leave your phone/lead for a short time, and then something happened there.

Staging the phone and lead by someone seems too risky.

 

[Normal Norm]

It seems on here we are all have VERY different opinions of whether it would be possible to slip into the river.
I am certainly to-ing and fro-ing on that one. It would have to be a fall and a knock on th head I think.

I'm to-ing and fro-ing, too. Could something have caused Nicola to have stood up suddenly (off the bench), which in turn has caused her to faint or black out, leading in turn to her falling or rolling into the river? I'm clutching at straws, really.

 

[infinit]

Thank you. Do we know if there is any deviation or drop in the river bed at that spot, given the DANGER DEEP WATER sign just there?

It looks like it can peak at 4m at times, I wonder if the sign is there to give warning during floods? Or as you suggest there could be substantial deviation.

 

[RoxyRoo]

Been following the story and thread here. I live in a village in the South. Whenever a dog is found, the person who found it usually takes it home and posts on the Village Facebook page stating a dog has been found and the owner is always found that way, but if the dog has a collar (and being a dog owner myself) a contact number should be on the tag in order to make contact with the owner.

If NB's dog was known for going in the river as proven by Facebook photos NB posted, I can't believe that suddenly now there was an issue that she had to go into the river herself to rescue the dog.

As already been said, the fact the police responded to the missing person report by her partner is all very strange indeed.

 

[infinit]

I'm to-ing and fro-ing, too. Could something have caused Nicola to have stood up suddenly (off the bench), which in turn has caused her to faint or black out, leading in turn to her falling or rolling into the river? I'm clutching at straws, really.

I'm taking a stab in the dark but I wonder if for some reason she ended up close to the bank for whatever reason, slipped and fell. It looks like a bit of a drop, enough that if you hit your head on the bottom in the shallow water it could knock you unconscious potentially and then you sadly drown.

 

[DazN]

It looks like it can peak at 4m at times, I wonder if the sign is there to give warning during floods? Or as you suggest there could be substantial deviation.

That would be my guess too...



Yeah the sign looks to have been put up by the local Angling Association so as you say, it is probably just a warning for all seasons.

The bottom right picture is looking back up the river with the bench on the left under the tree:

https://stmichaelsaa.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/St-Michaels-4.jpg

 

[infinit]

Been following the story and thread here. I live in a village in the South. Whenever a dog is found, the person who found it usually takes it home and posts on the Village Facebook page stating a dog has been found and the owner is always found that way, but if the dog has a collar (and being a dog owner myself) a contact number should be on the tag in order to make contact with the owner.

If NB's dog was known for going in the river as proven by Facebook photos NB posted, I can't believe that suddenly now there was an issue that she had to go into the river herself to rescue the dog.

As already been said, the fact the police responded to the missing person report by her partner is all very strange indeed.

I think the time of year could potentially play a factor? A dog going in during the warmer months is one thing, it would have been around 4C at the time - water likely even colder, which to my understanding is on the borderline for what is safe for a dog.

 

[Lincolnshirelad]

It looks like it can peak at 4m at times, I wonder if the sign is there to give warning during floods? Or as you suggest there could be substantial deviation.

Most waterways / bodies of water in the UK have signs like these, even if they are few inches deep. Its more to do with younger kids drowning in inches of water. Its why the sign looks old as its most likely been there 10-20 years.

 

[Willowy]

If I'm on a company wide conference call run by senior people wittering away I leave my laptop/phone on the side all the time and do other things while listening. I think many people do this.

She could have left the phone on the side to watch or check the dog, or throw the dog a ball or something. I wonder if the dog was known to regularly swim in the river around this location? I'm sure someone has posted this already but most spaniels love water.

 

[DetectiveLawless]

While my guess was the water initially too, if they've had search teams with sonar and heat detection and the rest technically they should have at least discovered something by now or even pulled a few things that have been dumped in the river just to take a look at? Have they? If they aren't still searching the river then imo they have suspicion already on whats happened yet are just waiting for time to take its course so they can prove it.

 

[jiminy]

I'm taking a stab in the dark but I wonder if for some reason she ended up close to the bank for whatever reason, slipped and fell. It looks like a bit of a drop, enough that if you hit your head on the bottom in the shallow water it could knock you unconscious potentially and then you sadly drown.

That's my gut feeling. My own dog likes to do her business close to (but not in) running water for reasons known to herself. And even if the water itself isn't deep - what's the bottom like? The surrounding banks look sandy. if there's a lot of silt at the bottom that could make getting out tricky?

My other theory is mental break. Tied up the dog (who later wiggled out of the harness) and just walked. It took authorities a long time to find Gaia Pope in an area that had already been searched. This might be similar.

 

[leuraman]

Lancashire Constabulary - UPDATE: Witness found as search for missing Nicola continues

The latest news and information for Lancashire Constabulary

www.lancashire.police.uk

Still treated as a missing persons enquiry by Police, no third party involvement.

 

[YaYa_521]

MOD NOTE:

Folks, please remember information stated as fact must be supported by a link to a mainstream media or law enforcement source (or other WS approved source) to substantiate the fact. If the comment is your opinion only, you must state that as well by using IMO, MOO or a similar variation. It is not only against TOS to post without a link or a disclaimer stating it is your opinion, it is also rude to the reader to have to go 46 pages back find the link or guess whether it's a fact or your opinion.

Posts that violate TOS will be removed along with all responses to it. Please read The Rules and familiarize yourself with Websleuths' lingo.

All images, including screenshots, require a link to an approved source. If you can't provide a link from MSM, LE or another approved source, don't post it.

If you aren't sure whether a source is approved, please use the Report feature to ask for approval before discussing any of the content.

Thanks!

 

[Potato80]

If I'm on a company wide conference call run by senior people wittering away I leave my laptop/phone on the side all the time and do other things while listening. I think many people do this.

She could have left the phone on the side to watch or check the dog, or throw the dog a ball or something. I wonder if the dog was known to regularly swim in the river around this location? I'm sure someone has posted this already but most spaniels love water.

I do the same, but only if I'm indoors - I'll put the phone with an ongoing conference call on the kitchen counter while I make food, for example. But I'm always paying attention to it, just in case.

Maybe she did put the phone onto the bench while the meeting was droning on, and had a mooch over to the river bank (doing this might even feel somewhat 'freeing') whereupon she slipped and fell into very cold water.

While she was doing this, the dog was apparently out of its harness (another thing I find a bit odd)

 

[MrsWatson]

Lancashire Constabulary - UPDATE: Witness found as search for missing Nicola continues

The latest news and information for Lancashire Constabulary

www.lancashire.police.uk

Still treated as a missing persons enquiry by Police, no third party involvement.

Highlighting this quote by the police superintendent.

Supt Sally Riley said: “We remain extremely concerned for Nicola and we continue to do everything we can to try and find her and to provide some answers for her family who are obviously beside themselves with worry. I must stress at this time that this remains a missing person inquiry and at this time there is nothing to suggest any third-party involvement in Nicola’s disappearance.​

 

[Wishingwell]

That's my gut feeling. My own dog likes to do her business close to (but not in) running water for reasons known to herself. And even if the water itself isn't deep - what's the bottom like? The surrounding banks look sandy. if there's a lot of silt at the bottom that could make getting out tricky?

My other theory is mental break. Tied up the dog (who later wiggled out of the harness) and just walked. It took authorities a long time to find Gaia Pope in an area that had already been searched. This might be similar.

<modsnip - no l ink to information stated as fact> I wonder what type of wellies she had on as some do fasten round your leg?
I’m just thinking out loud. JMO

 

[suzyjackson]

If I'm on a company wide conference call run by senior people wittering away I leave my laptop/phone on the side all the time and do other things while listening. I think many people do this.

She could have left the phone on the side to watch or check the dog, or throw the dog a ball or something. I wonder if the dog was known to regularly swim in the river around this location? I'm sure someone has posted this already but most spaniels love water.

I agree, I think that's perfectly normal nowadays, if you don't have these type of calls as part of your work it's understandable that this element seems relevant bit imo it's not a factor at all. She joined the meeting, listened in and there's no more too it, no need for her camera to be on, no need to speak, the purpose is to share information/update employees or whatever, it's a mundane routine part of remote working post covid

 

[brownbread]

Your last question is one that‘s been in my mind the most. I’m no expert, but my understanding is that police rarely take immediate action when a healthy adult goes missing. There‘s an initial assumption that the person may have gone somewhere of their own volition and has every right to do so. I believe PA must have told police something that gave serious cause for concern. Depression, a previous threat of suicide, desperation about finances, marital troubles? It could be anything but I do think he must have divulged something of significance.

I think the fact the dog is running round on it’s own is enough to raise a red flag. If she’s gone off somewhere on her own volition, where exactly and why/how has she left the dog?

That's my gut feeling. My own dog likes to do her business close to (but not in) running water for reasons known to herself. And even if the water itself isn't deep - what's the bottom like? The surrounding banks look sandy. if there's a lot of silt at the bottom that could make getting out tricky?

My other theory is mental break. Tied up the dog (who later wiggled out of the harness) and just walked. It took authorities a long time to find Gaia Pope in an area that had already been searched. This might be similar.

Having to pick up after her dog is a very plausible reason for why she might leave her phone momentarily and walk down the bank towards the river.