Head diver says it's 'impossible' Nicola Bulley is in the sea as search continues

The expert leading the search for Nicola Bulley says it's 'impossible' she is in the sea.

Authorities have been searching for the 45-year-old since she disappeared on 27 January in St Michael's on Wyre, Lancashire.

Ms Bulley had just dropped her two young daughters off at school and had headed out for a walk with her dog along their usual route.

However, the mortgage advisor's phone was later found on a bench by the river, alongside the dog lead, with the dog harness on the ground.

Her spaniel, Willow, was later found on a footpath by the river.

Nicola Bulley/Facebook

Diving group Specialist Group International (SGI) have been heavily involved in the extensive search for Ms Bulley along the stretch of river where her items were found.

The head of the company, Peter Faulding, is an expert in forensic science.

Speaking about the perplexing case, he said that he doesn't believe Ms Bulley is in the water, and claimed that it's 'impossible' she made it to the sea.

"We've been using the high frequency side scan sonar in this stretch today and it's so detailed I can even see every stone of it," he explained.

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"She's not in this stretch. We also sonar-ed on the other side down yesterday in the tidal river. Now if you take a football on a tidal river…when the tide goes out the the ball will go down the stream and then as soon as the tide turns it will come back in again. It'll end up back at the same place.

"For Nicola to get out to the sea would be impossible, literally, it is such a long way.

"After 25 years of doing this kind of work, after hundreds of cases, I am well and truly baffled. When people drown they generally go down where they are.

"We normally find them within five to ten metres of where they went down even after a few days."

Mr Faulding said that neither he nor the authorities have a single piece of evidence to go on at this point.

"This is the most baffling case that I have ever worked on," he said.

Nicola Bulley/Facebook

"The police have nothing to go on. All they have is a mobile phone at the moment and they said it could possibly be a decoy."

Despite Mr Faulding's thoughts, however, police said this week that they still believe Ms Bulley fell into the river.

In a press conference yesterday (7 February), Superintendent Sally Riley said the force's theory is that Ms Bulley 'sadly fell into the river and this is a missing person enquiry'.

She added: "The river is a complex area to search ... and is tidal in parts.

"As acknowledged by experts, this makes the search more difficult."