Horrified witness’ first words to Nicola Bulley cops after spotting body of woman in river
A HORRIFIED witness' first words to cops after spotting a woman's body near where Nicola Bulley vanished have been revealed.
The man was sat on a wall next to the River Wyre, Lancashire, when the discovery was made in the undergrowth - less than a mile from where the mum-of-two was last seen.
He appeared ashen-faced as he pointed out the area along the bank to police.
He was heard telling a first responder on the scene: “It was a body. It is down there.
"It was a body of a woman. There is definitely a body down there.”
Officers immediately sealed off a nearby road and a police helicopter hovered overhead.
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Divers then entered the water after the alarm was raised.
Cops confirmed they had recovered a body from the river on Sunday morning.
It has not been confirmed to be the 45-year-old but a formal identification process in underway.
The death is currently being treated as "unexplained".
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In a statement, Lancashire Police said yesterday: "We were called today at 11.36am to reports of a body in the River Wyre, close to Rawcliffe Road.
"An underwater search team and specialist officers have subsequently attended the scene, entered the water and have sadly recovered a body.
"No formal identification has yet been carried out, so we are unable to say whether this is Nicola Bulley at this time.
"Procedures to identify the body are ongoing. We are currently treating the death as unexplained.
"Nicola's family have been informed of developments and our thoughts are with them at this most difficult of times. We ask that their privacy is respected."
Another witness told : "I noticed a man and a woman and two police officers on the embankment.
"I heard the man talking to police about something in the undergrowth.
"Police cars were flying down the road with the blues and twos going.
"A police officer pulled up a few minutes later and got his drone out.
"Five minutes later the helicopter arrived. Officers asked to me get out so I moved 200 yards down the road."
Nicola was last seen on January 27 after dropping her two girls off at school.
The mortgage advisor took her dog Willow for a walk along the river - which had been extensively searched.
Police maintained their main theory has always been that Nicola had gone into the water.
They had moved their search for the mum 20 miles away to the coast after believing Nicola could have been carried out to sea.
The road was reopened more than four hours after yesterday’s tragic discovery.
It comes after police confirmed Nicola was being treated as a high risk missing person.
Cops revealed Nicola had "vulnerabilities" at the time she went missing.
These included "significant issues with alcohol" in the past that were brought on by her "ongoing struggles with the menopause".
Nicola's struggles had resurfaced over recent months, police confirmed.
A statement added: "This caused some real challenges for Paul and the family.
"As a result of those issues, a response car staffed by both police and health professionals attended a report of concern for welfare at Nicola’s home address on January 10.
"No one has been arrested in relation to this incident, but it is being investigated."
Officers have defended their decision to release personal information about Nicola after being slammed by MPs and former cops.
Home Secretary has ordered the force to explain why the details were revealed and police have now referred themselves to the Independent Office for Police Conduct.
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Last Friday, Nicola's partner Paul Ansell told Channel 5's Dan Walker that "something happened that day" as people don't just "vanish into thin air".
He also spoke of the "unprecedented hell" his family were going through.
