Police are treating the case as missing person inquiry
Police investigating the disappearance of missing mother-of-two Nicola Bulley say they believe she fell into the River Wyre while walking her dog.
The force said its “main working hypothesis” is that she fell into the river and that “this is not suspicious but a tragic case of a missing person”.
They believe the 45-year-old mum-of-two vanished in a 10-minute window from 9.10am to 9.20am when the dog walker went missing last Friday (27 February).
Superintendent Sally Riley told a press conference in the village of St Michael’s on Wyre that the last confirmed sighting of her took place at 9.10am that day where she was seen on Upper Field walking her dog.
Her dog was off the lead which was normal, the superintendent added. At 9.20am police believe her phone was on a bench while connected to a work Teams meeting, which ended 10 minutes later. Ms Riley said: “We only have a 10-minute window in which we cannot account for Nicola’s movements.”
Superintendent Riley issued a list of clothing and accessories police are searching for in connection with Ms Bulley.
She told a press conference: “I do have an update on the clothing that Nicola was last seen wearing, and this is something that the public who live in the area, or who walk their dogs on the river path near to St Michael’s or downstream of St Michael’s towards Morecambe Bay, can look out for.
“They are an ankle-length black quilted gilet jacket, a black Engelbert Strauss waist-length coat which was worn underneath the gilet, tight-fitting black jeans, long green walking socks tucked into her jeans, ankle-length green Next wellies, a necklace and a pale blue Fitbit.
“It’s really important that the public pay heed to those very specific clothing descriptions please, because factual sightings of those items would be very useful to us.”
She added: “I would also appeal to the public to keep themselves safe in this inquiry. People going out at night in the darkness could fall into the river and face other hazards. Likewise, if they go out in boats on the river, please only do so if you’ve got experience in that.”