Nicola Bulley ‘died in two breaths’ as cop reveals mum’s final moments after ‘cliff-edge’ fall into 4C water

NICOLA Bulley died in "two breaths" in seconds after falling in 4C water, an inquest heard today.

The mum-of-two's final moments were revealed after she fell into the River Wyre from a "cliff-edge drop" on January 27.

Once in the water, Nicola, 45, travelled at a "metre a second" downstream in the "steady flow" of the river, the inquest heard.

The court was told the water was just 4C when Nicola vanished, which is cold enough to lead to cold water shock and cause a person's muscles to seize up.

Diving expert Professor Mike Tipton said she would have lost consciousness almost instantly.

He also suggested she would have drowned in "one or two breaths" due to her size and the temperature of the water.

Tragically, Professor Tipton said she would have died "in less than minutes".

He added: "The lethal dose of water into the lungs, with freshwater, is two litres.

"In that first breath [for a person of similar weight to Nicola] you would have taken in 1-2 litres. So it would only take maybe one or two breaths to cross the lethal dose."

The grim hypothesis was shared by cold water expert Dr Patrick Morgan, who explained how a person falling into cold water will suffer an "excessively high" heart rate as their blood pressure surges.

He added: "The heart pumps no blood and the brain switches off. The potential conscious time here quoted are optimistic... it is potentially shorter.

"On the occasion that the individual has taken that initial gasp on the surface of the water and then gone below, the duration would be 10 seconds that you could hold your breath and very likely one or two seconds at best."

The inquest also heard from PC Matthew Thackray from the North West Police Underwater Search & Marine Unit, who described the drop into the water where Nicola vanished as a "cliff edge".

The officer told the inquest: "It's my belief that if she did fall in she was probably floating and being pushed along the flow."

When asked if it would be possible to climb out of the river once in, he added: "No not at all… it's very difficult to get out of the water here.

"There is nothing to grab hold of to help yourself back out."

It would have taken two to three minutes to reach a point where Nicola could climb out the river, which PC Thackray said was an "awfully long time in very cold water".

A full, two-day inquest into Nicola's death opened today at Preston's County Hall in front of partner Paul Ansell, sister Louise Cunningham and parents Ernest and Dot Bulley.

Home Office pathologist Dr Alison Armour, who carried out a post mortem on Nicola, gave her cause of death as drowning.

The expert said she believed Nicola was alive when she entered the water and confirmed there was no sign she had been assaulted before her death and no indication of third party involvement.

Dr Armour said the internal examination found “classic signs” of asphyxia, which happens when the body is deprived of oxygen, but there was no sign of trauma to Nicola's neck.

The court was also told "flecks and fragments of dirt" were found inside Nicola's throat and there was water in and around her lungs, which are "typical features" seen in drowning.