The body of a missing woman has been located in a river in Lancashire, England, after she disappeared last month in the middle of a phone call.
Nicola Bulley was last seen on Jan. 27 when she was walking her dog by the River Wyre in Saint Michael’s on Wyre. Bulley, a mortgage advisor, had just dropped off her two daughters at school and was on the phone partaking in a work conference, according to CBS News.
Her phone was found on a bench still logged into the call and her dog was running loose near the riverbank, according to CBS News.
In a Monday update, Lancashire police said that a body had been found in the river and was identified as Bulley. (RELATED: Missing 22-Year-Old That Sent Cryptic Text Before Disappearance Found Dead On Train Tracks)
Sadly, we are now able to confirm that yesterday we recovered Nicola Bulley from the River Wyre.
Nicola’s family have been informed and are of course devastated. Our thoughts are with them at this time as well as with all her loved ones and the wider community. pic.twitter.com/7L522NiHHS
— Lancashire Police (@LancsPolice) February 20, 2023
Police also shared a statement from Bulley’s family, thanking the community for their help and support, which they said “has been nothing short of comforting and heart-warming.”
“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.
— Lancashire Police (@LancsPolice) February 20, 2023
The family was fiercely critical of media coverage of Bulley’s disappearance and said that friends and family members, including Bulley’s father, had been “misquoted and vilified” by the press and public. “This is absolutely appalling, they have to be held accountable this cannot happen to another family,” they said in the statement.
Lancashire police are still investigating Bulley’s death but believe she likely fell into the river, according to CBS.
British Home Secretary Suella Braverman has also expressed her dissatisfaction with Lancashire police and questioned why they published private details about Bulley, including how she had been struggling with alcoholism and perimenopause, The Telegraph reported.