Nicola Bulley's partner revealed the phone call which he said made his "world drop".
Paul Ansell was interviewed for a Channel 5 documentary with Dan Walker regarding the mum-of-two's disappearance. The 45-year-old of Inskip, Lancashire, went missing on January 27 in nearby St Michael's on Wyre during a walk with her dog Willow.
Partner Paul said he tried to call Nicola numerous times, however the 45-year-old did not pick. He then received a phone call from his daughter's school and in that moment knew something "wasn't normal".
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Speaking on the programme, he said: "I was going to leave and the phone rang and it was the school and it was the receptionist at school. She said 'Mr Ansell it's a bit of a weird one but we have found Willow and Nikki's phone on the bench and the harness halfway down the embankment on the floor."
He added: "Then I got that call and in an instant it is like your whole, because I knew straight away it wasn't normal, I said 'where is she?' and they said they couldn't find her."
The dad-of-two said he knew Nicola would not leave their dog Willow and this was "extremely concerning". He then said it was a "mad panic" and he rushed down to where people had found Nicola's phone and Willow.
As he made his way down, Paul said he rang 999. He added: "It's like your world drops out because you know something weird has happened."
Paul described the mortgage advisor as fun, loving and loyal. He said she was an "exceptional mum" and the "pillar of strength" to their family.
Nicola's disappearance has now entered its third week. Since she vanished, Lancashire Police have searched the river tirelessly and recently moved the focus of the search to where the river becomes tidal at Morecambe Bay before then going into the sea.
A caravan site is now being searched by officers and is believed to be one of the several CCTV blind spots identified in the search for the mortgage advisor from Inskip. One of Nicola's friends, Tilly Ann, previously posted on Facebook that a CCTV camera that would have seen "everything" was broken at the time the mum went missing.
The news has come after it was revealed that the investigation had been widened to include the day before she went missing. The search has been aided by specialists and divers from HM Coastguard, mountain rescue and Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service, with sniffer dogs, drones and police helicopters.
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