If the dog had been wet I would be inclined to believe that NB fell in, perhaps because the dog was in difficulty.
If NB fell in or someone pushed her into the river the dog would have gone in after her unless it was tied up for a period.
The dog wasn't wet, and not all dogs would necessarily follow their owner into water - some would do exactly what the dog was found doing: barking and looking distressed.
The river is definitely deep enough for a person to be submerged, and it remains the most likely scenario.
However, even if she is in the water, the lead and phone didn't end up in the water with her, so something sudden must have happened before that for them to be on the ground.
For me, the position of the lead and - particularly - the phone are the most interesting things.
If you have a mooch close to the river bank ("faffing around" as someone said in a report), you wouldn't leave your phone on the ground.
You might hurl or drop your phone to the ground if you suddenly had to get your dog who had strayed too close to the edge.
Equally, you might drop your phone on the ground if suddenly attacked.
I think the phone and lead were found by witnesses. It would be interesting to see their exact position when found.
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