The coroner at the inquest of Nicola Bulley has delivered an official verdict on her death, months after her tragic passing.
Nicola, a mother of two, went missing in January while out walking her dog in St Michael’s on Wyre, Lancashire. In February, three weeks after her disappearance, police confirmed they had found Nicola’s body in the river near where she went missing.
An inquest into her death began this week (June 26) at Preston’s County Hall and, as well as her cause of death being confirmed, the coroner has also recorded an accidental death verdict.
Nicola Bulley cause of death: Where, when and how did she die?
In the inquest, Home Office pathologist Dr Alison Armour – who carried out the post mortem – gave drowning as Ms Bulley’s cause of death.
Dr Armour said she believed Ms Bulley was alive when she fell into the water in January.
Was Ms Bulley harmed before her death?
She added that there was no sign the mother-of-two had been assaulted or harmed before her death.
How the cause of death was confirmed
The court was told “flecks and fragments of dirt” were found inside Ms Bulley’s throat. There was also water in and around her lungs which are “classic features” of drowning. Ms Bulley also had bruises on her body.
Coroner Dr James Adeley told Ms Bulley’s partner Paul and sister Louise Cunningham, who watched proceedings in court: “I am sorry that you are attending court under these circumstances. You have my deepest condolences and I would be grateful if you would pass that onto the children who are not in court for obvious reasons.”
Inquest
Professor Michael Tipton, a world expert in drowning, also said there would have been a “fairly rapid incapacitation” after Ms Bulley went into the River Wyre.
He also said there would have been an estimated “20 to 30 seconds” before she lost consciousness.
“We estimate the temperature would have been around 3 to 5C (in the River Wyre), so there would be a particularly powerful cold-shock response,” Professor Tipton said in court. “For somebody of Nicola’s size, it would have taken one or two breaths in of water to be a lethal dose.”
Dr Patrick Morgan, also a cold water expert, said Ms Bulley may have only been able to hold her breath for “one or two seconds at best” in the river.
Coroner ruling
During the two-day inquest, Paul and Louise gave evidence as witnesses. Today (June 27), they heard the coroner deliver his ruling.
Her death has been ruled an accident by Coroner Dr James Adeley. He said her death was an accident after she fell in the water and suffered “cold water shock”. The coroner said the river bank where Nicola fell had an “almost vertical drop. Dr Adeley explained the current on the day she drowned would have made it “almost impossible” for her to get out the water.
Dr Adeley said he is unable to determine exactly why Nicola entered the water but ruled there was “an absence of any evidence” of suicide.
He said: “I discount a conclusion of suicide as there is no evidence to support this conclusion. There was also no natural disease that contributed to Nikki’s death. The remaining conclusion is that of accidental death.”
Read more: Nicola Bulley update: Fate of police who gave out her personal details confirmed
Nicola went missing on January 27, 2023. On February 19, police confirmed they had recovered a body from the river. The tragic case sparked a huge reaction on social media. Many users tried to solve the case as well as speculating online. Police criticised the users at the time, saying the theories and speculation needed to stop.
Nicola left behind her partner Paul and two daughters.
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