During an inquest held last year, the final text message sent by the late Nicola Bulley was presented as evidence regarding her death.
Nicola, aged 45, was last seen on January 27 2023, walking her dog Willow near the River Wyre in Lancashire.
After she went missing, a widespread search operation was launched, drawing nationwide attention. Police and rescue teams continued searching until her body was discovered a few weeks later.
Authorities determined that she had fallen into the river, resulting in her death.
At the inquest, Dr. James Adeley, Lancashire’s senior coroner, ruled her death as accidental after reviewing two days of testimonies.
The case is now being highlighted in a new BBC documentary titled The Search For Nicola Bulley, which is scheduled to air on Thursday night.
On the first day of the inquest, the court reviewed statements from specialists, law enforcement personnel, and a Home Office pathologist, who reconstructed the events leading up to her disappearance, as initially detailed by the Mirror.
A key segment focused on text message exchanges between Nicola and her friend Lucy, where they were making plans for a playdate for their daughters. It also covered the final messages Nicola received and sent.
According to court testimony, Nicola had contacted Lucy the night before she went missing. Lucy saw the message the next morning and responded at 8:13AM, saying: "I said my daughter would love to come and play."
At 8:59AM, Nicola replied with a confirmation and included a smiley face emoji. The pair had also planned to meet up the following day, as Lucy noted: "We were going to be meeting up, a group of mums, on the Saturday night for a few drinks."
Home Office pathologist Alison Armour, who conducted Nicola Bulley's post-mortem examination, reported that the presence of water in her lungs and stomach led her to determine drowning as the cause of death.
During the proceedings, the coroner asked Ms. Armour to summarize her conclusions, and she stated: "I conclude the cause of death as drowning. The lungs themselves showed classical features we see in drownings. In my opinion Nicola Bulley was alive when she entered the water."
Ms. Armour elaborated that the water in her lungs indicated that she was swallowing, an "active process," confirming she was alive when she entered the river. No evidence of brain hemorrhaging, natural illnesses, or excessive medication levels were found, and only normal therapeutic levels were noted.
A trace of alcohol was detected, consistent with the natural decomposition process.
Supporting Ms. Armour’s conclusion, Professor Michael Tipton, recognized as a global expert on drowning, concurred with her findings. A specialist from the police's underwater search unit suggested that Nicola likely fell into the River Wyre and was then carried downstream.
The court was also shown video footage by PC Matthew Thackray from the site at St. Michaels on Wyre, thought to be where Nicola entered the water. In the clip, he indicated: "There is a large vertical slope from the bench and into the water. On the day there was a steady flow downstream."
He further explained: "The river was 4°C, so almost freezing, and if she fell in, the muscles would probably seize, making it difficult to swim properly."
He estimated that she would have been carried downstream at approximately "a metre a second."
