The sister of missing mother-of-two Nicola Bulley says there is "no evidence whatsoever" that she fell into the water.
Louise Cunningham shared a post on Facebook in response to Friday's police update about the 45-year-old who has not been seen since walking her dog a week ago. She said the idea that her sister has gone into the river is "just a theory" and urged everyone to keep sharing information.
Her message followed the police press conference on Friday when Superintendent Sally Riley said their working hypothesis is that the missing woman accidentally fell into the river and that something "could have happened" with her dog that caused this to happen.
Read more: Everything we know about missing dog walker Nicola Bulley
Nicola had dropped off her children at school the previous Friday morning and then took her springer spaniel Willow for a walk along a towpath in St Michaels on Wyre.
Nicola's sister wrote in her post: "Please keep sharing my Nikki …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." As The Mirror reports, Supt Riley told reporters in the press conference that officers are "as sure as we can be" that Nicola did not leave the area.
Her phone, still logged into a work group conference call - with camera and microphone muted - which had since finished, was found on a bench with the dog running around nearby without its harness or lead. Supt Riley said: "At the point where the bench is located there is quite a steep drop to the river; albeit not high, it is steep.
"And therefore, whilst I don’t want to speculate as to what may have happened, it is our working hypothesis that she has entered the water accidentally and that’s why there is no physical evidence on the field." She confirmed Nicola can swim and said that, due to the different water depths, searchers have been both wading in the River Wyre and diving underwater.
After a "thorough" search of the immediate stretch of water, investigators have not found any conclusive evidence, she said, adding: "The dog was off the lead, this was normal for the dog to run about and Nicola was on a teams call, which again it would be normal for her not to participate in actively and just have the phone to listen in, effectively.
"Anything could have happened with the dog whereby Nicola may have gone - and I don’t wish to speculate, we don’t know - but it is possible the dog was loose and off the lead that there may have been an issue with the dog that led her to go near to the water’s edge.
"She puts the phone down momentarily and Nicola may have fallen in. That is a possibility." They did not think the dog had been in the river.
"We don’t know why Nicola may have entered the water if she did," she added. Meanwhile, the Mail reports that Ms Bulley's family had found the police assessment "hard to contemplate" but continued to hold onto hope as the search continues.
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