Nicola Bulley’s sister claims there is ‘no evidence’ that the missing mum-of-two fell into the river as she responded to a police theory yesterday. Louise Cunningham made an appeal to the public on Facebook to keep sharing information about Nikki.
It came after the police issued an update saying that something “could have happened” with her dog, potentially causing Nikki to approach and fall into the river, the Mirror reports. The 45-year-old mum had taken her springer spaniel willow for a walk along a towpath in St Michaels on Wyre last Friday (January 27), after dropping her kids off at school.
Yesterday Superintendent Sally Riley revealed that investigators' main hypothesis is that Nikki accidentally fell into the river. However, her sister said: "Please keep sharing my Nikki …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.
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"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."
Officers are “as sure as we can be” that Nicola did not leave the area, Supt Riley told reporters at a press conference. Her phone was found on a bench and the dog was running around nearby without its harness or lead. The phone was connected to a work group conference call, which had ended, although the camera was off and the microphone was muted.
Supt Riley added: "At the point where the bench is located there is quite a steep drop to the river, albeit not high, it is steep.And therefore whilst I don’t want to speculate as to what may have happened, it is our working hypothesis that she has entered the water accidentally and that’s why there is no physical evidence on the field."
She confirmed that Nikki can swim, and that officers search the River Wyre were both wading and diving due to the different water depths. The superintendent said after a "thorough" search of the immediate stretch of water, investigators have not found any conclusive evidence.
She went on to say: "The dog was off the lead, this was normal for the dog to run about and Nicola was on a teams call, which again it would be normal for her not to participate in actively and just have the phone to listen in, effectively.
"Anything could have happened with the dog whereby Nicola may have gone - and I don’t wish to speculate, we don’t know - but it is possible the dog was loose and off the lead that there may have been an issue with the dog that led her to go near to the water’s edge.
"She puts the phone down momentarily and Nicola may have fallen in. That is a possibility,"
"We don’t believe the dog was in the river because the dog, we believe, was dry and the witnesses have not described the dog swimming or jumping into the river.
"We don’t know why Nicola may have entered the water if she did," she added.
Meanwhile, the Mail reports that Ms Bulley's family had found the police assessment 'hard to contemplate' but continued to hold onto hope as the search continues.
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