British mother (45) has been missing for a week: “As if she has gone up in smoke” | Abroad

Nicola Bulley was last seen on January 27 in St Michael’s on Wyre, a village in the northwest of England. She had just dropped off her two daughters at the school gates and was going for a walk with her dog, Willow, along the River Wyre. There she was last seen around 8:45 am by another walker with whom she had a chat.

At 9 a.m., Bulley joined a conference call for work from a riverside bench. She left her camera and microphone off. Just before that, she texted a friend asking to meet up with the kids sometime in the next few days.

But when her dog Willow was found alone along the hiking trail some 25 minutes after she was last seen by the other hiker, the alarm was raised. Willow was acting nervous, dragging her harness behind her and was dry, a sign that the dog hadn’t been in the water herself. Bulley’s phone was on a bench overlooking the river, still logged into the conference call.

Later that day and in the following days, hundreds of volunteers took part in a search for the missing woman, but so far without any success. Police do not suspect foul play, but are keeping all options open for now.

Today, on the seventh day of the search, agents have cordoned off part of the walking route. Divers search the river for remains. After all, it is feared that Bulley ended up in the river and was dragged downstream.

“We’re never going to give up hope, but now it’s like she’s gone up in smoke. It’s just insane,” said Paul Ansell, Nicola Bulley’s husband. He cannot comprehend the disappearance of his fold. “Every scenario crashes. Every time again.”

The 44-year-old man is currently focusing on caring for his six- and nine-year-old daughters. He says he can hardly think for himself. “The only thing we can take away from this is the level of support. That is extraordinary,” he says of the help he receives from friends and people from the local community. “It gives us great comfort to know that this is happening. We have nothing else.”