Nicola Bulley drowned after falling in cold water, an inquest has concluded.
At an inquest into the 45-year-old's death at County Hall in Preston, Dr James Adeley, senior coroner for Lancashire concluded the mum-of-two drowned after falling into cold water. Nicola's death has been recorded as accidental.
Dr Adeley said it was likely Nicola entered the water at 9.22am when her Fitbit recorded a significant spike in her heart rate. He is unable to determine exactly why Nicola entered the water.
READ MORE: Nicola Bulley's partner explains what he thinks happened before she went into the water
He told the court: "On January 27 at around 9.22am Nicola Jane Bulley fell into the River Wyre and died almost immediately". The coroner also addressed each possible short form conclusions.
Private underwater search specialists were also called in by her family amid a conspiratorial social media frenzy fuelling waves of sightseers and content creators visiting the scene. Her body was found in the river on February 19, around a mile from where she was last seen.
As the days passed and speculation continued online, Lancashire Police revealed Nicola had struggled with alcohol and perimenopause. This prompted widespread criticism for disclosing her personal information, with Home Secretary Suella Braverman and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak questioned about the police approach and the force facing investigation.
An independent review of Lancashire Police's handling of the case is currently under way by the College of Policing, ordered by Lancashire's Police and Crime Commissioner Andrew Snowden. Part of the review will include inquiries made by the Information Commissioner's Office over the force's disclosure of Ms Bulley's personal information.
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