Underwater search crews launched their hunt for missing mum of two Nicola Bulley amid an "eerie" atmosphere as villagers and walkers looked on.
Nicola, 45, from Inskip in Lancashire has been missing since January 27 while walking her dog Willow in St Michael’s on Wyre.
The mum was last seen at approximately 9:10am on the day with her dog in the upper field of the area. At around 9:20am, her phone was tracked to a bench, where it was found at 9:33am.
Police believe she may have fallen into the river, and are working to that hypothesis. As we reach the 12th day of her disappearance, a specialist team of divers known as Specialist Group International are now assisting in the search.
READ MORE: Full timeline of events following disappearance of Nicola Bulley
The team are described as 'specially trained in advance search and recovery techniques' who carry out underwater search and recovery for Surrey, Sussex, Kent, Hampshire and Thames Valley police forces. Peter Faulding, founder and CEO of Specialist Group International said the Lancashire force "initially declined" his offer to help search the river.
On Monday the ECHO visited the scene in St Michael’s on Wyre where Nicola was last seen. It was clear to see that the small village in Lancashire had been shaken by the disappearance, with many members of the tight-knit community offering to assist in the search.
With numerous signs and appeals for information placed throughout the village, the otherwise calm and quiet area felt eerie. Police, press and members of the community gathered in the village, walking the route that Nicola would've taken that morning.
Speaking to BBC Breakfast this morning, Mr Faulding said his team are now focusing on the "key area" where Nicola's phone was found on the bench. The underwater search equipment is said to be "the best on the market."
As we visited the scene yesterday, the base for Specialist Group International was clear. They were parked just a short distance away from the path Nicola Bulley would’ve taken to get to the upper field.
What we know so far is that the sonar equipment being used is worth £55,000. The side-scan sonar has a high frequency of 1,800 kilohertz, with a ‘very high hit rate’.
The device allows the team to see "every stick and stone on the riverbed" and can generally cover around 10 miles of river per day, according to Peter Faulding. The River Wyre is approximately 28 miles long.
While visiting, many members of the public roamed the route. Some were with their dogs, others were alone. The bench where Nicola’s phone was last seen was crowded with people discussing the disappearance, with some sitting on the bench itself.
When visiting the area, we found that the River Wyre was vast, yet peaceful. It was relatively slow-moving, but it is said to be quite deep in some parts.
The Specialist Group International were out meticulously combing through the river for a number of hours. It set off just after 11, and returned after 6pm.
After the search yesterday, Mr Faulding confirmed on Twitter that there was "no trace of Nicola". His team will look through another stretch of river today towards where Nicola originally went missing.
The diving expert has said if Nicola Bulley is not found today during searches of the River Wyre it may point to a "third party" being involved.
Anyone with information or footage is asked to call 101, quoting log 565 of January 30. For any immediate sightings, please call 999.
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