Missing dog walker Nicola Bulley

[Mungler]

Alright then, so how weird is it?

My 2p. I’ve had a spaniel and been round hundreds. I’ve not seen a spaniel yet that wouldn’t follow their owner into water.

And the dog was found bone dry.

So, without knowing anything other than cocker spaniels, I’m 99% certain she didn’t fall in that river.

Armchair sleuths, discuss.

[Dougy]

I dont know about her dog following her in the water, but i thought it was strange that her phone was still connected to the on line meeting. 

Im not aware of the water so cant comment on how far a body would travel without getting caught up on over hanging tree's or similar. 

Edited February 8, 2023 by Dougy

[Ultrastu]

The dog might not have seen her fall in the water .If it was running about in the bushes .she may have slipped down the bank smacked her head and knocked herself out, so no shouting and the dog didn't see her go in .

I'm suspecting a deliberate faking of her own death .

She may have thrown a ball for the dog and then run off down the bank .though a deliberate scarf in the river would have been more convincing perhaps .

I hope not .I really hope she if found alive for all involved  .very sad 

Edited February 8, 2023 by Ultrastu

[Vince Green]

10 minutes ago, Mungler said:

Alright then, so how weird is it?

My 2p. I’ve had a spaniel and been round hundreds. I’ve not seen a spaniel yet that wouldn’t follow their owner into water.

And the dog was found bone dry.

So, without knowing anything other than cocker spaniels, I’m 99% certain she didn’t fall in that river.

Armchair sleuths, discuss.

I have said that ever since they said the dog was dry. We had a springer and he would have gone into the water in a blink.

Also I would not let a springer off its lead unless I had a ball to throw for it and somewhere safe and enclosed for it to run. That is definitely not on a footpath by a river. Unless its a very old dog.

Another thing that's not right, why put your phone down on a bench? Most people are protective towards their phone and would slip it in a pocket or bag

[oldypigeonpopper]

Hello, why would she be so near the river, 🤔 divers have found no sign of her and it's a fair way to the estuary, it is not very deep looking at the TV reports, if it was faking why was she not seen going off from the area, 🤔

1 minute ago, oldypigeonpopper said:

Hello, why would she be so near the river, 🤔 divers have found no sign of her and it's a fair way to the estuary, it is not very deep looking at the TV reports, if it was faking why was she not seen going off from the area, 🤔

Now I see there has been quite a few people going there like tourists 🙄

Edited February 8, 2023 by oldypigeonpopper

[ditchman]

very very strange.................makes you think what ULTRA posted.............i have no idea what happened........people of that age do some weird things tho'........christ knows what has ocurred

[sky gipsy]

I'd like to figure I know how spaniels think after all the time I've had them, but...

I know the very place in question that is being searched so well by so many, along with the lay off the land and how the river level fluctuates and it's features within, but...

I am fully aware this is an "off topic" forum but please hope all armchair sleuths are very respectfully in their theories with respect for the families involved and the local people touched by this whole incident as there are obviously too many unknowns and the whole topic could be regarded as disrespectful gossip.

50 minutes ago, Mungler said:

 

Thank you.

[billytheghillie]

2 minutes ago, sky gipsy said:

I'd like to figure I know how spaniels think after all the time I've had them, but...

I know the very place in question that is being searched so well by so many, along with the lay off the land and how the river level fluctuates and it's features within, but...

I am fully aware this is an "off topic" forum but please hope all armchair sleuths are very respectfully in their theories with respect for the families involved and the local people touched by this whole incident as there are obviously too many unknowns and the whole topic could be regarded as disrespectful gossip.

Thank you.

+1 let the experts do there job.

[JKD]

3 minutes ago, sky gipsy said:

I'd like to figure I know how spaniels think after all the time I've had them, but...

I know the very place in question that is being searched so well by so many, along with the lay off the land and how the river level fluctuates and it's features within, but...

I am fully aware this is an "off topic" forum but please hope all armchair sleuths are very respectfully in their theories with respect for the families involved and the local people touched by this whole incident as there are obviously too many unknowns and the whole topic could be regarded as disrespectful gossip.

Thank you.

Very well said, my thoughts on this match yours. Speculation and guesswork achieves nothing,,,, especially from an armchair !!!

[Shadowchaser]

I think it's one thing to speculate on a forum like this and another to bad mouth on social media - which is what I've heard has been happening. 

The specialist team of divers have concluded their search and are leaving the area this evening.  

It is a bit of a baffler.  

 

[Mungler]

Ah but the experts (the police) have already determined that she fell into the river. So we can’t discuss that?

[Shadowchaser]

To be honest if it was a close family member of mine, I'd be open to listening to all possibilities.  I think the police strongly believe she went into the river which is the simplest and most likely explanation. 

[12gauge82]

My thoughts. 

 

For the police to state they believe she's fallen in the river and they're not treating it as a criminal investigation suggests they're very confident there's no foul play. 

They must have cleared all lines of inquiry and the time line she went missing and the possibility of someone unaccounted being able to harm her so small, they are almost certain she has somehow ended up in the river. 

Are they right? Only time will tell. 

I'm genuinely very moved by this case and can only imagine what her family are going through. I'd love for her to be found safe, but unfortunately, whatevers occurred I think that's probably highly unlikely. 

[Weihrauch17]

Just now, 12gauge82 said:

My thoughts. 

 

For the police to state they believe she's fallen in the river and they're not treating it as a criminal investigation suggests they're very confident there's no foul play. 

They must have cleared all lines of inquiry and the time line she went missing and the possibility of someone unaccounted being able to harm her so small, they are almost certain she has somehow ended up in the river. 

Are they right? Only time will tell. 

I'm genuinely very moved by this case and can only imagine what her family are going through. I'd love for her to be found safe, but unfortunately, whatevers occurred I think that's probably highly unlikely. 

No they are simply totally incompetent and that is their easy option.

[12gauge82]

3 minutes ago, Weihrauch17 said:

No they are simply totally incompetent and that is their easy option.

I absolutely agree it's a possibility. Very strange case, although I would think not impossible that she's fallen into the river banging her head on her way in, or suffered some sort of medical episode. Like I said above, I very much hope she's found alive and well and for her families sake, if she's already dead, just found so they can have the closure of knowing what's happened to her. 

[Vince Green]

5 minutes ago, Mungler said:

Ah but the experts (the police) have already determined that she fell into the river. So we can’t discuss that?

I think to be fair the police are saying they can't see any other plausible possibility except the river. Although that too is looking less likely after today.

[oldypigeonpopper]

Hello, sky news was interviewing a diver who in his opinion, she is not in the river, *????

[Bigbob]

I think shes done a runner 

[Gordon R]

 

There are a few things that concern me:-

At the outset, the Police were adamant that she had fallen into the river and other explanations were dismissed.

Area not cordoned off and any forensics potentially gone.

Dog being bone dry.

The diving expert who was called in says she isn't in the water.

Sally Riley (Police Superintendent) saying that the diving expert wasn't in possession of all the information. If the information related to the river, it makes zero sense to not tell him.

If the withheld information relates to another (non drowning) possibility, why are they sticking to the drowning explanation?

I honestly hope that the Police are wrong and she turns up alive, as it looks an amateurish investigation so far. The Police at loggerheads with the expert they called in does no-one any favours.

Edited February 8, 2023 by Gordon R

[JohnfromUK]

6 hours ago, Gordon R said:

The Police at loggerheads with the expert they called in does no-one any favours.

I don't believe the Police 'called in' the external expert.  They relied on their own diving teams, but media pressure rather forced their hand to 'allow' the external search experts.

10 hours ago, oldypigeonpopper said:

it is not very deep looking at the TV reports

There was (early on in the search) some report from a local angling club that it was very deep 'in places'.  https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/21266504/dangerous-river-nicola-bulley-disappearance/

which states "At its deepest - close to where Nicola vanished - the river reaches a depth of 15ft."  I have also read that it is only about 3 ft deep - which is what I would have guessed based on my local river.

[TIGHTCHOKE]

All very, very sad.

[Rim Fire]

So how long after was it she was  reported missing how long dose it take for a dog to dry out ?

 

 

Edited February 9, 2023 by Rim Fire

[JohnfromUK]

2 hours ago, Rim Fire said:

So how long after was it she was  reported missing how long dose it take for a dog to dry out ?

 

 

I believe the dog was fond quite quickly, along with the phone which was still connected to a conference event, but in an 'observe only' mode (i.e. mic and camera off)

Edit: BBC web page (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lancashire-64530529) says "Ms Bulley was last seen by another dog walker at about 09:10 GMT.  She had logged on to a work call beforehand.  Her dog and phone - still connected to the Teams call - were found at a riverside bench about 25 minutes later."

So about 25 minutes.

Edited February 9, 2023 by JohnfromUK

[henry d]

Going beyond the spaniel thing, we had several drownings where I lived in Scotland. One was a very experienced angler was fishing 5 miles or so above Perth and was found in the reedbeds in the estuary between Perth and Dundee. Another was a young lad who tried swimming across the river and was trying to remove his hoodie as it was hampering him swimming and he disappeared under the water never to be seen again until 10 or so days later when my friend spotted something around 150m downstream, his body had snagged on a  branch. 

I sincerely hope she is well somewhere but water is a strange thing and doesn't react like we might think 

[Robden]

8 hours ago, Bigbob said:

I think shes done a runner 

I must admit, that had crossed my mind as well. A bit like that guy and his canoe. I hope so. Better than the other options.