[ad_1] A mother-of-two whose body was found in a river three weeks after she went missing fell into the water by accident, a coroner has ruled.Nicol
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A mother-of-two whose body was found in a river three weeks after she went missing fell into the water by accident, a coroner has ruled.
Nicola Bulley, 45, vanished in January this year while taking her dog for a walk in St Michael’s on Wyre, Lancashire, in northwest England.
Her body was found three weeks later with mystery surrounding her death after police revealed she was struggling with perimenoupause and alcohol.
However, following a two-day inquest Coroner Dr James Adeley has now ruled Nicola’s death was an accident after she fell in the water and suffered “cold water shock”.
The verdict brings an end to speculation that foul play or mental health struggles played a part in the mortgage adviser’s death.
The coroner said the river bank where Nicola fell had an “almost vertical drop”.
Dr Adeley explained the current on the day she drowned would have made it “almost impossible” for her to get out the water.
He said due to the temperature of the river, Nicola could have gasped as she entered and inhaled a lethal dose of two litres of water.
This meant she would already be dead by the time she reached a point she could stand 40 minutes away, the coroner added.
Dr Adeley said he is unable to determine exactly why Nicola entered the water but ruled there was “an absence of any evidence” of suicide.
The inquest in Preston’s County Hall heard from medical experts, emotional family members and police.
Formal proceedings began yesterday when Nicola’s cause of death was revealed for the first time as drowning.
Home Office pathologist Dr Alison Armour, who carried out the autopsy, said she believed Nicola was alive when she entered the water.
The expert also confirmed there was no sign she had been assaulted before her death or that a third party was involved.
Instead, the inquest was also told it is likely Nicola fell into the River Wyre from a “cliff-edge drop”.
Once in the water, she travelled at a “metre a second” downstream in the “steady flow” of the river.
Diving expert Professor Mike Tipton said she would have lost consciousness almost instantly as a result of the 4C temperature of the river.
He also suggested she would have drowned in “one or two breaths” and died “in less than ten minutes”.
Her Fitbit watch and Mercedes car keys were discovered three weeks later when her Nicola’s body was recovered.
The watch had stopped recording Nicola’s steps at 9.30am on the day she disappeared.
Police confirmed that following analysis of her iPhone and Fitbit watch data, she “very possibly” entered the water at 9.22am.
Nicola’s disappearance gripped the nation after it was revealed her mobile was found on a bench by the river still connected to a work conference call.
Nicola’s pet springer spaniel Willow was also discovered – but there was no trace of the mum-of-two.
The case saw the tiny village of St Michael’s on Wyre flooded with amateur sleuths and armchair detectives all desperate to solve the mystery.
Front gardens were trampled on by social media ghouls and family and friends targeted as rumours reached fever pitch.
Fuel was added to the fire when Lancashire Police disclosed painfully personal details of Nicola’s struggle with alcohol and the perimenopause.
They confirmed she had “vulnerabilities” at the time she disappeared and was a high-risk missing person.
But Nicola’s family today told how she had struggled with her mental health but was in good spirits, making plans for the future and looking forward to life after the so-called “blip”.
Partner Paul Ansell said Nicola was “full of beans” on the night before her disappearance and had a “good day” planning meetings.
He added: “She was getting back into her work, she was excited, it was going really well.
“She had worked so hard. She was happy about earning her own money and getting that independence again.”
Paul confirmed the morning Nicola vanished was “normal” as the mum dropped their children off at school before heading to the field where she would usually do a two-loop walk.
He then told how he messaged his partner at 10.30am – around an hour after Nicola is believed to have fallen in the river.
Paul wrote: “Have you got lost?”
He received a phonecall 20 minutes later from the children’s school saying Nicola’s phone and dog Willow had been found.
Paul then broke down and had to leave the room as he told how Nicola’s daughters were her “absolute world”.
After returning, he added: “She was grateful for every day, she was an amazing mum and partner and this gave her huge security.
“She focused on the important things and did the right thing by everyone.
“She was well-respected by all who knew her. Everybody loved her.”
The huge search for Nicola was brought to a tragic end on February 19 as police were scrambled to a different section of the river.
Two dog walkers discovered her body less than a mile from where she was last seen.
The heartbreaking discovery came after what officers had branded a “hugely complex and highly emotional” search.
At the time, Nicola’s family said their “worst fears had been confirmed”.
A statement added: “We will never be able to comprehend what Nikki had gone through in her last moments and that will never leave us.
“We will never forget Nikki, how could we, she was the centre of our world, she was the one who made our lives so special and nothing will cast a shadow over that.
“Our girls will get the support they need from the people who love them the most.”
They added: “Our hearts truly break for others who have missing loved ones. Keep that hope alive.
“Finally, Nikki, you are no longer a missing person, you have been found, we can let you rest now.
“We love you, always have and always will, we’ll take it from here.”
This article originally appeared in The Sun and was reproduced with permission
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