Specialist diver Nicola Bulley clashed with police during the search for her in the river, as reported by the Daily Record. The mum and businesswoman disappeared in January 2023 after dropping her children at school and walking her dog. Her vanishing received significant media coverage, prompting an influx of online sleuths to St Michael’s on Wyre in Lancashire, where she was believed to have gone missing. However, this unintentionally disrupted the search efforts. Bulley’s body was tragically found more than three weeks later in the River Wyre, just a mile downstream from where she was last seen, with her phone discovered on a bench and her dog left behind. The extensive search lasted over 23 days, involving specialist divers, sniffer dogs, drones, and helicopters. Her death, at 45 years old, was determined to be an accidental drowning, as reported by The Mirror.
A recent BBC documentary shed light on the initial search for Bulley, prominently featuring specialist diver Peter Faulding. In November 2023, a review conducted on the search operation suggested that Faulding’s actions had caused unnecessary distress and false alarm to Bulley’s family. The 143-page report, commissioned by Lancashire’s police and crime commissioner, Andrew Snowden, indicated that Faulding’s public statements contradicted the investigative approach, leading to confusion among the public and eroding the family’s trust in the search operation. Faulding, in response, defended himself by stating that he had located Bulley’s body within minutes of starting a private search in the river. He expressed surprise at the police adviser’s dismissal of his findings initially, despite his confidence in identifying a significant target. Faulding emphasised his respect for the police and their expertise, ultimately deferring to their judgment despite his initial discovery.
Bulley’s family supported the BBC documentary, stating, “Only we can speak about her as a mummy, partner, daughter and sister.” They hoped that their experience during the media storm would encourage more thoughtful behaviour and communication online. The poignant story of Nicola Bulley continues to resonate as her loved ones aim to preserve her memory and advocate for respectful discourse in the online sphere.