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Huge search for woman who vanished while walking her dog near river
A huge search operation has commenced with emergency services joined by the mountain rescue team
A major police search operation is in place as concerns grow for the welfare of a woman who went missing while walking her dog along a river path in Lancashire.
Nicola Bulley, 45, from Inskip, was last seen on Friday January 27th at 9.15 am when she was walking her dog along a footpath by the river off Garstang Road, in St Michael’s on Wyre. Her dog was discovered close to where she went missing, police say.
In an extensive search operation, police dive teams, fire service drones, rescue dogs, helicopters and mountain rescue volunteers have all been deployed to the area to find Nicola.
Officers say that they are keeping an ‘open mind about where Nicola may be’, as Lancashire detectives continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding her disappearance, following a number of ‘lines of enquiry’. Specialist officers are also supporting Nicola’s family through this difficult time and remain in close contact with them.
Bowland Pennine Mountain Rescue Team (BPMRT) said 25 volunteers contributed to the search over an eight-hour period on Saturday.
They were joined by North West Ambulance Service, Lancashire Police, the Police Dive Team, Lancashire Fire and Rescue (LFRS), National Police Air Service (Helicopter), a LFRS Search Dog and an LFRS Drone.
Nicola is described as white, 5ft 3ins tall with light brown, shoulder-length hair, and was last seen walking her dog before her disappearance. She was wearing a long black gilet jacket with a hood, black jeans and olive green ankle wellies and her hair was tied into a ponytail.
Police say she speaks with an Essex accent and also has links to the Thornton-Cleveleys area.
Chief Inspector, Chris Barton, of Lancashire Police, said: “Nicola has now been missing for two days and we are extremely concerned about her. Firstly, if anybody saw her on Friday morning and has not yet been spoken to by police, or if anybody has any other information about where she might be, please get in touch with us straight away.
“Enquiries are very much ongoing and we have a team of detectives working tirelessly to establish the circumstances around her disappearance, in addition to a large team of police officers, partner agency and volunteer groups on the ground searching the area around where she was last seen.
“We are following a number of lines of enquiry and are keeping an open mind at this stage about what has occurred. We appreciate there is a great deal of concern in the local area and that people want to help, however we would ask that nobody puts themselves in any danger.
“If anybody has any questions or concerns they are welcome to speak to officers in the area.”
Lancashire Constabulary are hoping that this information may help someone remember seeing her or have possible information about where she was going. Anybody who has seen Nicola, or has information about where she might be, is asked to call 101, quoting log 473 of January 27. For immediate sightings please call 999.