Missing woman

[MyOldCaravan]

BBC News - Nicola Bulley: Partner describes perpetual hell over missing mum
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lancashire-64450243

Just been reading about this. How awful for her partner and children. Really hope she is found soon

Re CCTV - I saw a post shared on Twatter (not a typo) where a family friend (?) stated the one that would have captured everything wasn’t working that morning.

I agree with user on this.

According to Wikipedia, the river Wyre becomes tidal below the weir at St Michael's. The bench is about 300m above the weir (measuring along the centre of the river). So, if Wikipedia is right, the section where it is thought Nicola Bulley fell in is not tidal.

So in theory there is no actual hard evidence that she actually entered the riverside area. I know there have been witnesses saying they saw her but no CCTV at all of her from the school to the river?

Just to add, the local angling association is reported as describing this stretch of the river as "very dangerous" due to the combination of its depth and how cold it is at this time of year. A representative of the angling association said, "I certainly would not want to fall in there and I’m a very strong swimmer." It may be that posters on this thread who say they are local are genuine, but I would regard the local angling association as a reasonably authoritative source.

Witnesses who knew her are hard evidence. Indeed, someone who knew her stopped and talked to her after she had entered the riverside area. She was later spotted in the riverside area by another witness who knew her. If this was from witnesses who didn't know her, it would have to be viewed with some suspicion as to whether they had identified her correctly. But a witness who knows her and stops to talk to her is hard evidence.

This is my thinking dog and phone found unattended, would surely make the person concerned enough..perhaps a scary prospect of what could be found I guess

@prh47bridge
Yes I guess you are right, I wasn't 100% sure if the witnesses knew her but if that is the case then yes that is hard evidence. I am still surprised though that she was not caught on one single camera from when she left the school to the river.

It is strange there’s no CCTV images of her entering the riverside area when they seem sure she didn’t leave the riverside area based on CCTV.

Those of you who think she fell in do you have a theory on how or why she fell in. I am wondering why a popular walk area with a bench didn't have some railings or similar if it was a health and safety risk. Why have a bench near a potentially dangerous place?

And those of you who know dogs would the dog have jumped in or barked repeatedly at the spot where she fell in like you see in movies. Or does it depend on the dog?

@User435787532 also they did not release pictures of her clothes. Like a shop images Of her clothing They did it in other missing cases.
Also should do a reconstruction with a actress walking that route to trigger peoples memory..
I walk daily to work across a large park and seeing lots of dog walkers but if you ask me if I see a particular one I probably wouldn’t remember however if I would see the reconstruction, it may help to remember.

Initially, you have it reported that a woman, ‘had to go to an appointment’ and ‘tied’ the dog to the bench, letting her daughter know so this could be reported & the husband was duly informed & police alerted.

Is this factually correct? Or was it poor journalism? Ditto re: this woman being park owner. Possibly incorrect.

Seems now to have been lost in narrative. Dogs were apparently a sensitivity at the park due to the numerous chickens, as can be inferred by reviews. Nicola’s dog habitually off the lead ‘officially’ breaking the rules, although may have been more relaxed in reality (as dog owners will know).

Yes, I am local. The thing is, despite the river being at its lowest exactly at the time she went missing, I do know it's possible and likely she's in the water and wasn't seen. It's unusual, very unusual but not impossible.

The anglers will say that stretch is dangerous because if you live locally you'd have to be pretty stupid not to describe our waterways as dangerous. There are many deaths over the years thanks to the tides in this region, more than most areas in the country.

Same
I feel it was probably a freak accident and she ended up in the river but I just want the police to try their very best to rule out foul play as I think women won't feel safe till we know.

reports seemed to suggest there were a few people walking together who had seen her at that time on the field so I think that’s why there wasn’t any suspicion raised over that witness

This is where my questions lie too. It was mentioned at one point that she was the caravan park owner and ive now gone back to thinking about it after seeing the post last night saying the only camera at the caravan park not working is the one at the back looking on to where it would of happened. It’s also just completely bizarre to find a loose dog and tie it up in the middle of a secluded area like that. Would most people not just start walking back to the car for their appointment and take the dog with them? Give it to someone en route? I wouldn’t leave it tied up at the opposite end of a path, if someone was coming to get it they’re then having to walk the entire walk to collect it, not to mention the fact my dog would have probably managed to strangle himself by the time I got there 🤔 Just now what most people would do I don’t think

Totally agree with this. This bit is really confusing.

I used to live in st michael's and walked our dog down there. When you enter the towpath on allotment Lane you have the river on your right and the caravan park on your left, through a chicken wire fence (unless it's been changed)
The kids used to love it because there were loads of coops and different types of chickens walking around. It was like a little farm really, quite cute.

I have no idea who owns that caravan park though.

I was wondering why the dog wouldn't be barking it's head off at the water too rather than running round, the running round seems to imply the dog didn't know where she went

@ofwarren chickens & dogs, often a problematic confirmation - a potential hole in fence & dog off lead…We know dogs were, according to reviews, understandably a sensitivity at the site too.

A Telegraph article appears to confirm the owner did find dog. But some things unclear @Allgoodthings1

1. The phone itself- as owner attending a time sensitive appointment did she leave the phone behind on bench?
2. It was said she recognised Nicola from the lock screen photo? Also that she wasn’t sure re: who owned dog & the connection?
3. The phone was connected to a conference call at time but photo of Nicola on lock screen clearly visible too? Says that was the case

@ofwarren of course I mean chickens & dogs problematic ‘combination’.

I'm just wondering, and excuse my ignorance, but then the tide comes in, does the water flow the opposite way 🙈 I realise that's probably a stupid question. Is it possible that the body got washed UP the river when the tide came in? 🫣

I've also been thinking a lot about the person who found the dog.

Am I right in saying that they came across the dog with no harness on, then put the harness back on the dog and tied it up? I find it strange that anybody would do that and not take the dog/phone with them?

They then raised the alarm sometime later so the dog was left tied to a bench and the phone was left too and nobody else encountered any of that until presumably (the partner?) was alerted and came down to rescue the dog who had been tied up for over an hour? No wonder the poor thing was agitated.

The whole situation is really bizarre, surely most people would survey the scene if they came across a loose dog and discarded phone, did they check the river? Why were they down there if they were rushing off to an appointment?

I didn't see any reports suggesting she owned the caravan park, although it is not unusual for early reporting to be confused. She doesn't. The owner is someone called Penny.

@Dunkindonuts8
The police searched upriver as well as downriver

If it is tidal then yes, water does flow the opposite way when the tide is coming in. However, according to Wikipedia, the stretch where she disappeared is not tidal. The river becomes tidal after a weir about 300m downstream of where she disappeared.