The head of an underwater forensics team that was drafted in to search for Nicola Bulley but couldn't find her in the River Wyre has hit back at critics.
Expert Peter Faulding, 60, used a sonar scanner to search for the 45-year-old mum-of-two and confidently said his team would be able to find her quickly in the river.
Mr Faulding told the Mirror: "If Nicola is in there, we will find her. If she’s there, our sonar will pick her up straight away.
"I will see a body on the bottom. We are dealing with about 10 drownings every summer. We always locate within the hour. It's that quick, it's that good."
However, three days later he called off the search, describing the case as the most "baffling" he had ever worked on.
On Sunday, Lancashire Police announced they found a body in the river - and today the force confirmed the body had been identified as Ms Bulley.
Mr Faulding has been criticised for not finding Nicola's body in the days his team was involved in the search.
He told The Sun: "I don't want to take the hammering, it's totally unfair.
"Our remit was to search the bottom of the river, not the reeds. The police also had a sonar scanner of their own.
"It's unfair for me to be the fall guy. I'm one man, the police are a massive organisation with huge resources."
Mr Faulding added that his intentions were "good from day one" and that he tried to help the police without getting paid, despite normally charging around £4,000 for the service.
Nicola had been walking her dog in St Michael's on Wyre after dropping her daughters, aged six and nine, at school on January 27.
Her family were informed following the discovery of the body and Lancashire Police began identification procedures.
Speaking at a press briefing at police headquarters on Monday, Assistant Chief Constable Peter Lawson confirmed the body had been identified as Ms Bulley.
He said: "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.
"We recognise the huge impact that Nicola's disappearance has had on her family and friends, but also on the people of St Michael's.
"We would like to thank all of those who have helped during what has been a hugely complex and highly emotional investigation.
"Today's development is not the outcome any of us would have wanted, but we hope that it can at least start to provide some answers for Nicola's loved ones, who remain foremost in our thoughts."
Nicola's family issued a statement said: "Our family liaison officers have had to confirm our worst fears today.
"We will never be able to comprehend what Nikki had gone through in her last moments and that will never leave us.
"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."
