Nicola Bulley timeline: Full list of events and clues so far from phone to diver search
NICOLA Bulley vanished while walking her dog on January 27 leaving her family in agony as they search for answers.
Despite a mammoth police hunt, there has been no trace of the missing mum-of-two.
Officers believe Nicola, 45, fell into a river as she walked springer spaniel Willow in St Michael’s on Wyre, Lancashire.
Specialist divers have now pulled out of the search after saying they did all they could to find the mortgage broker.
Police will continue their efforts to find Nicola as the mystery surrounding the case deepens.
Here’s how Nicola’s disappearance unfolded.
January 27
Nicola began her walk along the towpath to the River Wyre at 8.43am after dropping her two children off at school.
Police say around seven minutes later, a dog walker who knows Nicola saw her walking around the lower field with her springer spaniel Willow.
The witness said their two dogs interacted briefly before she left Nicola via the river path.
At 8.53am, the mum sent an email to her boss at Exclusively Mortgages.
She then logged into a Teams call at 9.01am and was seen around nine minutes later on the upper field walking Willow.
Police say at 9.30am, the work call ended but Nicola stayed logged on.
At around 9.35am, the mobile and Willow were found at a bench by the river but there was no sign of Nicola.
She was reported missing and Lancashire Police launched a probe.
January 28
Drones, helicopters and police search dogs are deployed as part of the huge missing person’s operation.
Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service, Bowland Pennine mountain rescue team and the North West underwater search team also lend their services.
Despite the massive search, there is still no trace of Nicola.
January 29
Volunteers meet in the village hall to organise a search for Nicola.
Around 100 locals help out as police urge them to exercise caution.
Officers describe the river as “extremely dangerous”.
January 30
Superintendent Sally Riley says police are “keeping a really open mind about what could have happened”.
They confirm Nicola’s disappearance is not being treated as suspicious.
Nicola’s partner of 12 years said her daughters, nine and six, were desperate for their mum to come home.
Speaking at the family home in Inskip, Paul Ansell said: “It is just perpetual hell. Utter disbelief.
“All we can say is we need to find her. She’s got two little girls that need their mummy home.
“We have got to get some good news now.”
January 31
Police speak to a potential witness seen walking a small white fluffy dog near the River Wyre when Nicola vanished.
Her family released a statement saying they had been “overwhelmed by the support” in their community.
They also said Nicola’s daughters were “desperate to have their mummy back home safe”.
February 1
Nicola’s parents Ernest and Dot talk about their fears somebody has “got her”.
Ernest said the family “dread to think” they will never see Nicola again as he does not how they would deal with that “for the rest of our lives”.
Speaking about her daughter’s children, he added: “We don’t know how long we can keep going before they realise, they think mummy is coming home soon, but if this keeps going on and on I don’t know where we are going to go or what to say to them.”
February 2
A second witness is identified by police.
Police urged the woman dressed in a red coat to get in touch before later questioning her.
Nicola’s family wept as they issued a heartfelt plea for information.
Sister Louise Cunningham told Sky News: “If I’m being honest, it feels like I’m just stuck in a nightmare.
“We’re going round and round in circles trying to piece together what could have possibly happened.
“It’s like she’s just vanished into thin air. We just want her home, we need her home, her children need her home. It’s absolutely heartbreaking.”
February 3
Lancashire Police holds a press conference and confirms their “main working hypothesis” is that Nicola had “sadly fallen in the river”.
Supt Sally Riley said there may have been an “issue” with dog Willow that led Nicola to the edge of the water.
The officer also confirmed there is a ten-minute window where they cannot account for Nicola’s movements.
This is between 9.10am – the last confirmed sighting – and 9.20am when Nicola’s phone is believed to have been on a bench while connected to a work call.
She also gave a list of clothing Nicola was last seen wearing – including an ankle-length black quilted gilet jacket.
Nicola had a a black Engelbert Strauss waist-length coat underneath the gilet and was wearing black tight-fitting jeans.
She had long green walking socks tucked into her jeans, ankle-length green Next wellies, a necklace and a pale blue Fitbit on.
February 4
Nicola’s sister says there is “no evidence” behind the police theory that the missing mum plunged into the river.
Louise wrote: “Off the back of the latest police media update, please can I add there is no evidence whatsoever that she has gone into the river, it’s just a theory.
“Everyone needs to keep an open mind as not all CCTV and leads have been investigated fully, the police confirmed the case is far from over.”
Emma White, a friend of Nicola’s, also rejected the police’s theory.
February 5
Lancashire Police speak to another witness – a woman seen pushing a pram near where Nicola vanished.
CCTV is released by Nicola’s loved ones showing the mum on the day she vanished.
Snaps from Nicola’s own Ring Doorbell show her loading her car outside her home just hours before she went missing.
February 6
Specialist Group International (SGI) begin their search of the river using sonar equipment.
The team is led by expert in forensics Peter Faulding and offered their services free of charge.
He later claims Nicola’s phone found by the river is a “decoy”.
Mr Faulding also suggests a third party could be involved.
February 7
Police say they have probed “every criminal element” as they remain “fully open minded” over her disappearance.
Supt Sally Riley said the force has not yet detected a “suspicious” element in Nicola’s disappearance.
She added: “Every third party element or criminal element has been looked into and discounted.”
The officer also warned amateur detectives from trespassing in empty properties.
And she hit out at dive expert Peter, saying: “Clearly Mr Faulding isn’t included within all the investigation detail any more than the members of the public are that I’m briefing through these sorts of press conferences.”
It came after he told multiple news outlets he believed Nicola is not in the River Wyre and even asked her partner is she had any “enemies” after fearing she had been abducted.
February 8
The dive team dramatically called their search off – saying they had done all they can.
He told reporters: “Wherever she is I hope closure comes soon.
“All the family are clearly distraught.”
Discussing search progress, the dive leader said there is simply “no sign” of Nicola near to where she vanished.
He explained: “We’ve cleared completely the area where the bench is and about a mile up from the bench, where the phone was initially found.
“We’ve run the side scan sonar from here down to the next bridge, which is about three or four miles away and there is no sign of Nicola in that particular area.
“We’ve done very thorough searches all the way down to the weir. I’m totally baffled by this one, to be honest.”
And he admitted he was “glad” his team haven’t found her.
