A private diver has insisted Nicola Bulley did not fall into a river as he ends his search after speaking to her partner during a heartbreaking visit to the spot she was last seen 12 days ago.
Diving expert Peter Faulding told Nicola’s partner Paul Ansell “she’s not here” after he concluded a three-day extensive search of the River Wyre in Lancashire.
Police have been working on the hypothesis that Nicola slipped into the water and drowned.
Faulding pointed out that the water was fairly shallow – no deeper than 3ft – and was covered with jagged rocks.
Peter Faulding has told Nicola Bulley's partner Paul Ansell that she is not in the river
PA Video
The pair were joined by a senior detective and a friend of Nicola.
“If this is where Nicola fell in you can see that the water is not particularly deep. There are lots of rocks and if she was in the water she would be able to grab hold of them,” he told the Daily Mail.
“No one heard any shouts for help and I just can't see how she could drown here.
“The only possibility is that she fell head first and was knocked out on the rocks, but I don't see how that could happen.”
Yesterday police said there was still a “possibility” that Nicola left the area by one path not covered by cameras which is crossed by the main road through the village.
Officers have been attempting to trace dashcam footage from 700 drivers who passed along the road at the time she disappeared.
They have also extended their search 10 miles away towards Fleetwood and the Irish Sea under the assumption Nicola could have been swept away from the point of entry.
However, diving expert Faulding disputes the police theory.
He said: “My opinion is had Nicola gone in by that bench she would have gone to the bottom and drifted a couple of meters.
A private diving company have spent three days searching the river for Nicola Bulley
Danny Lawson
“The police divers who are very professional thoroughly searched that stretch of river and she wasn't there. There is hardly any current and in my experience, bodies do not move very far.
"It is not feasible that she could have drifted 15km, not in my experience and this type of tidal river. Things get washed in and washed out. It is very shallow. There is nowhere to go.”
The SGI team have called an end to their search which revealed no evidence of her body being in the water.
Lancashire Police say a team of 40 detectives are working on the case and more than 1,000 pieces of information have been submitted by members of the public, according to Superintendent Sally Riley.
