TRAGIC END
Nicola Bulley’s true cause of death was revealed months after mum’s disappearance sparked massive hunt
The mum's body was found by two dog walkers less than a mile from where she was last seen
THE true cause of the tragic death of Nicola Bulley was finally revealed months after the mum went missing.
A huge hunt was launched after the 45-year-old mum-of-two vanished in St Michael’s on Wyre, Lancashire, on January 27, 2023.
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Her disappearance caught the attention of the country after it was revealed her mobile was found on a bench by the river still connected to a work call.
Tragically, her body was found in the river on February 19 - three weeks after she .
Her who was discovered near the bench by the river.
Interest in the case also helped spark a social media frenzy as amateur detectives descended on the village to try to solve the mystery.
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Some so-called "sleuths" are still hanging around the village, to the annoyance of the locals who have branded them "ghouls".
The mum-of-two had to be identified through her dental records after the sad discovery was made.
INQUEST
A full, two-day inquest into Nicola's death opened in June the same year at Preston's County Hall in front of partner Paul Ansell, sister Louise Cunningham and parents Ernest and Dot Bulley.
Home Office pathologist Dr Alison Armour, who carried out a post mortem on Nicola, gave her cause of death as drowning.
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The expert said she believed Nicola was alive when she entered the water and confirmed there was no sign she had been assaulted before her death and no indication of third party involvement.
'CLASSIC SIGNS' OF ASPHYXIA
Dr Armour said the internal examination found “classic signs” of asphyxia, which happens when the body is deprived of oxygen, but there was no sign of trauma to Nicola's neck.
The court was also told "flecks and fragments of dirt" were found inside Nicola's throat and there was water in and around her lungs, which are "typical features" seen in drowning.
Nicola also had several bruises on her body - including on her right arm - and "therapeutic levels" of a beta blocker in her system.
The inquest also heard from diving expert Professor Mike Tipton, who said Nicola would have lost consciousness almost instantly.
He also suggested she would have drowned in "one or two breaths" in less than ten seconds due to her size and the temperature of the water.
COLD WATER SHOCK
While cold water expert Dr Patrick Morgan explained how a person falling into cold water will suffer an "excessively high" heart rate as their blood pressure surges.
The court was told the water was just 4C when Nicola vanished, which is cold enough to lead to cold water shock and cause a person's muscles to seize up.
Timeline of Nicola's disappearance
January 27:
8.26am- Nicola leaves her home address with her children
8.40am- The mum drops the children off at school and has a brief conversation with another parent.
8.43am – Nicola walked along the path by the River Wyre towards the gate/bench into the lower field, having dropped her children off at school
8:47am (approximately) - A dog-walker – somebody who knows Nicola – saw her walking around the lower field with her dog. Their two dogs interacted briefly before the witness left the field via the river path
8.53am – She sent an email to her boss
8.59 am- Nicola sent message to a friend
9.01am – She logged into a Teams call
9.10am (approximately) – A witness – somebody who knows Nicola – saw her on the upper field walking her dog, Willow. Work is ongoing today to establish exactly what time this was.
9.20- Her phone was back in the area of the bench
9.30am – The Teams call ended but Nicola stayed logged on
9.33am (approximately) – Nicola’s mobile phone and Willow were found at a bench by the river by another dog-walker.
It would have taken two to three minutes to reach a point where Nicola could climb out the river, which PC Matthew Thackray from the North West Police Underwater Search & Marine Unit said was an "awfully long time in very cold water".
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The officer estimated she would have floated at a "metre a second" downstream as there was a "steady flow" that day.
The mum's body was found by two dog walkers less than a mile from where she was last seen despite a "hugely complex and highly emotional" search.
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