Nicola Bulley search specialist Peter Faulding has revealed why his team did not find anything despite searching part of the river where a body was later found . Peter Faulding, the owner of Specialist Group International, was asked by Nicola's family to help in the search following her disappearance in Lancashire over three weeks ago.
The SGI team used sonar equipment to scan parts of the River Wyre where Nicola's phone was found on January 27. Peter Faulding oversaw the underwater search for Nicola across three days.
After his search found nothing, Mr Faulding said he believed Nicola was not in the river. On Sunday, February 19, Lancashire Police confirmed a body had been found in the River Wyre, while formal identification is yet to take police, her family has been informed and are being looked after by specialist officers.
Read more: Nicola Bulley: The timeline of how a tragic search unfolded
It has been clamed that officers had been alerted to the find by a man and a woman who'd been walking downstream of the area where the 45-year-old's phone was found on an riverbank bench, still connected to a work Teams call.
On Monday morning, Peter Faulding released a statement explaining why his team did not find Nicola Bulley in the river following the discovery of a boy on Sunday. He explained that the body was not found in the river but the reeds - which the sonar equipment does not penetrate.
He added that his team did search the part of the river where a body was discovered for four hours on the first day of their search for Nicola. Explaining why his equipment would not have found a body, he said the sonar does not penetrate reeds, and only a riverbank and wade search would have made the discovery due to its location - and his team was not tasked with doing this.
He said: "My previous comments saying that if Nicola was in the river, I would find her, still stand. My team and I at SGI did all we could to assist this family with only our best intentions. I am sure I can say this of everyone who has been involved in this difficult search."
Mr Faulding said there has been a lot of "unfair criticism" towards himself and his team due to the confusion between the search they were conducting, and an underwater search that does not use sonar equipment. He added that police teams were searching the river for three weeks and did not make a discovery.
The full statement said: "Although identification has not been formally confirmed I would like to say my thoughts are with the family and friends of Nicola Bulley at this very difficult time.
"The SGI underwater search team was tasked with searching the river upstream of weir in the non tidal part of the river, past the bench where Nicola’s phone was found and a mile upstream past this point. For three days, using high frequency side scan sonar, we thoroughly search the riverbed and can categorically confirm that Nicola was not laying on the riverbed on the days that we searched. We did search the stretch of river where Nicola was found for four hours on our first day and then upstream past the weir on the subsequent two days. The police underwater search teams and land search teams were searching for three full weeks and were also unable to find Nicola. Unfortunately it was a member of the public that made a grim discovery, unconfirmed as yet to be Nicola.
"Sadly, the discovery was not found in the river but in the reeds at the side of the river which was not part of our remit as the side scan sonar does not penetrate reeds above or below the water. A riverbank and wade search would be the only way to search this area and we were not involved or tasked with that search. The difference between these two search areas has caused a lot of confusion and unfair criticism towards myself and my team at Specialist Group International (SGI).
"My previous comments saying that if Nicola was in the river, I would find her, still stand. My team and I at SGI did all we could to assist this family with only our best intentions. I am sure I can say this of everyone who has been involved in this difficult search.
"I did not volunteer my services, my equipment or my team for any limelight or publicity, I simply wanted to lend extra resources to help a family in despair and this was supported by Lancashire Police. However, there has been unprecedented media and public interest in this case and at every turn, I was asked for an update on my own search, which I provided with only best intentions . Support for my assistance and my actions have been overwhelmingly positive although I am aware of that some negativity has been towards myself and my team.
"SGI is the recognised underwater search team for Essex, Surrey, Sussex, Kent, Hampshire and Thames Valley police who we have worked closely alongside for many years. Unfortunately there are few police underwater search teams left. Each year we locate and recover many unfortunate victims and bring them back to their families. Sadly, for circumstances out of our control, and as hard as we try, sometimes we are unable to locate the missing person."
Read next:
- Nicola Bulley’s partner tells of ‘agony’ after a body was found in river
- Private security firm brought in to protect Nicola Bulley villagers
- Dog walker who discovered Nicola Bulley's mobile 'knew something wasn't right'
- Home Secretary demands ‘explanation’ over Nicola Bulley private life disclosure
- Man arrested while filming at place where Nicola Bulley disappeared
