A friend of Nicola Bulley says she was sent a text message arranging plans just minutes before she disappeared. The Lancashire mum went missing while walking her dog after dropping her daughters off at school last Friday, January 27.
Police believe the 45-year-old may have fallen into the River Wyre while trying retrieve her dog's tennis ball - although her sister has suggested there is 'no evidence' to support the theory. Mortgage broker Nicola had taken springer spaniel Willow along a towpath in St Michaels on Wyre from around 8.45am.
She is understood to have signed into a work conference call close to 9am. Now, a friend who lives in the village has told the Mirror she received a text from Nicola at 8.57am that day.
The text came minutes before her meeting, during which she had switched off her camera and microphone. It is understood she texted a friend about meeting up with her kids.
The pal, who lives in the village and did not wish to be named, said: “She booked a playdate, 8.57, she sent a text message to a friend whose mortgage she had just recently signed off on to arrange for the girls to go for tea this week.”
She added: “You wouldn’t have done that if you were going to get up and go missing." Nicola's dog was later found wandering alone 'bone dry' and agitated on the trail with her harness on the floor.
Nicola’s phone had been left on a bench overlooking the water, still logged into the call. It is feared she fell into the river and was dragged downstream.
But the Sun reports her sister, Louise Cunningham, has urged people to keep an open mind in a post on social media. She wrote: "Off the back of the latest police media update, please can I add there is no evidence whatsoever that she has gone into the river, it's just a theory.
"Everyone needs to keep an open mind as not all CCTV and leads have been investigated fully, the police confirmed the case is far from over." During the seventh day of searching, police cordoned off part of the route as divers scoured the water.
Nicola's friend said the information from the text was revealed during a meeting at the village hall on Sunday morning at around 10.30am, before residents headed out on their first mass organised search. Nicola's partner Paul is understood to have been at the meeting.
Police advised the group to search upriver in a pincer movement. In the afternoon, a second search of locals set out, with around 100 participants, which included the headteacher from the primary school.
Two fellow dog walkers are said to have seen her soon before her disappearance and she was 'laughing and joking' with them.
It comes after Nicola's mum Dot told the Mirror yesterday she had also been making plans for a spa break with her sister Louise. Dot, 72, said: "Louise had just booked Ribby Hall because they both had spa vouchers, she had just sent Nicola the night before the treatments.
"Louise booked it on Friday morning and sent it to Nicola but she never got back to her. They are very close."
Dad Ernest added Nicola was happy with her job and had a meeting with an important client before she went missing. He said: "Her mind was great, we picked the children up the Thursday before she went missing, as we do every Thursday.
"We took them home, Nicola had had a meeting with her boss in Garstang and she said can you stay a bit later because I have an important client coming in on Zoom. We said no problem and stayed.
"She had done her work and she was very upbeat about getting her mortgage sorted. I said we better go now and Nicola came to the front door, and I gave her a kiss and told her I loved her and that was the last conversation I had with her."
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