Nicola Bulley died accidentally after falling into cold water, coroner concludes
Nicola Bulley died accidentally after falling into cold water, the coroner at her inquest has concluded.
Ms Bulley, 45, vanished after dropping off her daughters, six and nine, at school, and taking her usual dog walk along the River Wyre in St Michael’s, Lancashire, on 27 January.
Following her disappearance, the 45-year-old mortgage adviser from Inskip was immediately deemed a “high risk” missing person and her disappearance sparked an intensive search operation before her body was eventually found more than three weeks later in the Wyre.
Dr James Adeley, senior coroner for Lancashire, recorded her death as accidental as she fell into the river and suffered “cold water shock”, ruling out suicide.
In a statement read outside court after the inquest, Ms Bulley’s family said: “Sadly, we feel the need to again raise and address the issue of social media.
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Nicola Bulley’s family asks for time to heal
“It’s upsetting that we’ve continued to receive negative targeted messages and still witness wildly inaccurate speculation being shared over numerous platforms.
“We encourage people to look at the facts, the evidence which has been heard during the inquest, and the conclusion reached by the Coroner, to ignore any amateur views and opinions, and be mindful of the impact words bring.”
Nicola was ‘looking forward to the future’
Earlier, her partner Paul Ansell said that despite a “blip” in her mental health she was “back to herself” and had plans for the year ahead.
Her family’s lawyer told the hearing at County Hall, Preston, they believed her death was “a tragic accident”.
Ms Bulley’s mobile phone was still connected to a work Teams call when it was found on a bench overlooking the river on the day she went missing.
Mr Ansell said: “She was still listening to that meeting, so I think she must have maybe put the phone on the bench and gone to put the harness back on Willow.”
He said she had been “looking forward to the future” before she disappeared, despite the “blip” the previous month.
“The blip over the Christmas period happened but in January she was back to herself, looking forward to the future and everything was on the up,” said Mr Ansell, who at one point during his evidence broke down in tears and had to leave the room.
He added: “She had a good day the day before (she went missing), came home full of beans, excited with work, with the meetings she had and plans for the year.”
On the day she disappeared, he sent her a text message saying: “Have you got lost?”
Asked if she had any suicidal thoughts, Mr Ansell said she had made “a couple of throwaway comments” the month before her death, “but nothing that gave me any concern”.
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Inquest shown dive video
Her former GP told the inquest there was “nothing” in Ms Bulley’s medical records to suggest she was suicidal.
Dr Rebecca Gray said Ms Bulley had spoken to her about having a “low mood and anxiety” since 2018, and had later told her she was suffering from headaches, fatigue and lack of sleep.
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Police say thoughts are with Bulley family
But there was “nothing on the notes or records from 2012 where there’s been any mention of her feeling suicidal or of self-harm”, Dr Gray added.
Ms Bulley was sent to A&E on 11 January due to an injury to her head, Dr Gray said.
The mother-of-two attended a walk-in centre after a fall, complaining of increased drowsiness and vomiting, and was sent to A&E where a CT scan came back normal, the inquest heard.
Police officers during the search
A mental health clinician attended Ms Bulley’s house on 10 January along with a police officer and paramedic following concerns about her welfare.
But Theresa Lewis Leevy told the inquest Ms Bulley did not appear depressed despite concerns over her increased drinking.
Ms Bulley appeared intoxicated on her bed and spoke of having lost weight.
However, when asked if she appeared depressed, Ms Leevy said: “No, no, not that I could ascertain at the time.”
Ms Bulley’s sister cried as she spoke during the inquest.
“Nikki was my big sister… very much a planner,” Louise Cunningham said.
“She started her career again, a busy mum, as most people are, juggling a career and family life. She always had things under her control.”
A police diver searches the river
Ms Cunningham also commented on the “blip” in her sister’s mental state.
She said: “She had a blip over Christmas (2022) but she was back on the HRT medication in January and back to work and back to the normal Nikki.”
Ms Cunningham said her sister was drinking more heavily over that period.
But she added: “She’s never confided in me about any suicidal thoughts.”
Ms Cunningham said she was planning a spa day shortly before Ms Bulley’s death.
She cried as she said: “I literally confirmed it was booked but she didn’t pick up the message.”
Ribbons left on a bench near where Ms Bulley was last seen
No evidence of harm before ‘drowning’
On Tuesday, the inquest heard there was no evidence Ms Bulley was harmed before she drowned.
Expert Professor Michael Tipton said the temperature of the river was around 3-5C and it would have taken “one or two breaths” of water to kill Ms Bulley.
Asked by Dr James Adeley, senior coroner for Lancashire, if there was any evidence of third-party involvement in Ms Bulley’s death, Home Office pathologist Dr Alison Armour replied: “No, there was not.”
Anyone feeling emotionally distressed or suicidal can call Samaritans for help on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org in the UK.
The crash involving a cargo ship and oil tanker off the East Yorkshire coast is bad news for the sea, fish and air in the area. What we don’t know yet is quite how bad it will be.
That depends on a few things – but the speed of the collision, clouds of filthy black smoke from the fires and the leaked fuel are certainly worrying.
Firstly, it matters what was on board those two massive vessels.
Follow live: Jet fuel spilling into sea after tanker collision
Analytics firm Vortexa estimates the 183m-long tanker was carrying about 130,000 barrels of jet fuel (kerosene), which is now leaking into the sea.
Jet fuel is not as sticky or viscous as heavier types of oil, thankfully, so it’s less likely to clog the feathers and fur of birds and seals. It can also be broken down by natural bacteria.
But it can still poison fish and kill animals and plants on the shoreline if it makes its way into the soil there.
The Marine Conservation Society has pointed out the site in the Humber estuary is close to some protected areas and is important for seabirds and harbour porpoises.
And both ships will have been powered by a dirtier, heavier kind of oil – likely marine gas oil or heavy fuel oil, though we don’t know the details yet.
Heavy fuel oil is nasty stuff.
Pic: Bartek Smialek/PA
Cheap, thick and tar-like, it can smother animals and is very dangerous if they consume it, and is extremely difficult to clean up. Let’s hope this isn’t creeping around the North Sea already.
We don’t know how much of either the jet fuel or the oil powering the ships has leaked, or how much will be burned off in the violent fires – which themselves are ploughing black smoke and filthy air pollution into the surrounding atmosphere.
And we don’t know for sure what was on the Solong cargo ship and if, or what, will go into the sea.
Cargo ship ‘had sodium cyanide on board’
It was carrying 15 containers of sodium cyanide among other cargo, according to a report from maritime data provider Lloyd’s List Intelligence.
The container vessel was also transporting an unknown quantity of alcohol, said the casualty report – an assessment of incidents at sea – citing a message from the local coastguard.
Plastic takes hundreds of years to break down, and potentially can choke or trap animals.
Many of us have seen that uncomfortable viral video of a turtle having a straw yanked out of its nose. Previous accidents on cargo ships have seen plastic Lego pieces wash up in Cornwall 25 years later.
Read more:
How UK North Sea platforms dump gas
Secondly, the impact depends on the sea and weather conditions around it.
Things like the wind and currents affect how an oil spill spreads in the sea. Scientists can draw up computer models to simulate how the oil could behave.
Thirdly, it matters how quickly this is all tackled and then cleaned up, if necessary, and if it can be.
Usually the slower the response, the worse the impact.
The coastguard has said the incident “remains ongoing” and it has started assessing the “likely counter pollution response” that will be required.
Such a response might need the help of numerous public bodies: the government environment department, the transport department, the Environment Agency and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.
So for now the best we can hope for – aside from the welfare of the people involved – is that not all the oil is spilled or burnt, that conditions are calm and that rescuers and those cleaning up can work swiftly.
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