A diving expert who led a fruitless search for missing Nicola Bulley today insisted that he offered to help with 'good intentions.' Peter Faulding, 60, led the private search for Nicola, 45, after she disappeared while walking her dog in St Michael's on Wyre, Lancs,. on January 27.
Lancashire Police announced yesterday that they have recovered a body from the River Wyre but that identification has yet to take place to confirm if it's Nicola. Peter and his team searched the river for Nicola using high-tech sonar equipment along with a team of specialist police divers.
But he has today said that although he had offered his help in good faith, it is now time for Nicola's partner Paul Ansell and their family to 'grieve privately.' Peter said: "I feel very sad and it's not confirmed to be her yet, that's the thing.
"It's not confirmed to be Nicola's body yet but any body found in a river is very sad and that's what we are going to have to remember. She's the mother of two little girls, a partner and someone's daughter so it's very sad.
"It affects me because we know that we went up there with good intentions to try and find Nicola with the police officers who were working on this. It's quite distressing for anybody and now I think the family need to grieve privately and need to be left alone.
"The social media trolls need to basically get a life and think about her family."
Peter has also insisted that the body had not been in the river when his team searched the area. He said: "The police divers have searched that river all day, every day for the last three weeks and they still didn't find her.
"We searched that particular part of the river where the body was found for four hours with sonar. Categorically, hand on heart, she was not on the river bed and I have the data to prove it.
"She was not seen on the river bed and her body has been found in the reeds. Tidal rivers are very, very difficult to search because bodies can get snagged and it's particularly difficult for all involved in the search operation."
The diving expert has said that he hasn't spoken to Paul about the news but his 'heart goes out to him and his family.'
Peter said: "I wouldn't even attempt to speak to Paul at the moment and I will drop him a message tomorrow when things calm down.
"We don't know if it's Nicola but if it is, I will send my condolences and that's it - I can't do anymore than that.
"My heart goes out to him and his family if it's Nicola because it's really difficult and it is a distressing time."
