Nicola Bulley's Fitbit watch gave a heart rate output for eight days after she drowned, an inquest heard.
This week a coroner's court heard that the mum-of-two drowned in the River Wyre after she went missing on a dog walk on January 27. Nicola's body was found in the river about a mile from the bench, her mobile phone was found on, on February 19 after an extensive search.
When she was found, the Fitbit was still attached to her wrist and is believed to have lost power on February 4 as no further data had been obtained beyond that point and when it was placed on charge it displayed that date. The watch stopped recording steps beyond 9.30am on the day she disappeared, a digital specialist for Lancashire Police said.
READ MORE: Last text Nicola Bulley sent before falling in river
Detective constable Keith Greenhalgh told the first day of the inquest at Preston's County Hall: "A possible explanation for Nicola’s Fitbit continuing to provide [heart rate] output sporadically until 4 February could be a result of the movement of water passing between the device and Nicola’s wrist.
"Testing on inanimate objects provided similar results when there was a movement in the water." He told the inquest analysis of her iPhone and Fitbit data suggests she “very possibly” entered the water at 9.22am on January 27, the Mirror reports.
Drowning experts told the hearing entering into cold water can cause a victim to gasp and inhale water and drown within seconds. Professor Michael Tipton, a world expert in drowning, said there would have been a "fairly rapid incapacitation" after Nicola went into the river, which could have been as cold as 3C.
It may have been just seconds before she began to lose consciousness, the hearing was told. Professor Tipton said he agreed with Home Office pathologist Alison Armour, who conducted a post-mortem examination and concluded Nicola drowned.
