An expert diver who played a controversial role in the search for Nicola Bulley has joined the search for missing Chippenham man Sebastian Sailes.
Sebastian was last seen leaving The Black Horse pub in Chippenham and heading to Lovers Walk to make his journey home to Notton near Lacock at about 11.30pm on Thursday 27th February.
Wiltshire Search and Rescue teams have been working with Severn Area Rescue Association, Avon & Somerset Search and Rescue and Hampshire Search and Rescue Dogs, alongside specialist search officers from Wiltshire Police, and technical advice from the Environment Agency.
Today, teams from SGI - Specialist Group International headed by CEO Peter Faulding, have arrived at the search scene.
Peter Faulding hit the headlines in 2023 when Nicola Bulley went missing after dropping her daughters off at school and then taking her dog for a walk along the River Wyre in St Michael’s on Wyre, Lancashire. The mortgage adviser's phone was found by a park bench, along with the family dog, Willow, with police suspecting she had fallen into the river.
Faulding, a confined space rescue and forensic search specialist, had been interviewed by the media about his expertise, prompting Nicola's family to contact his private firm for help.
After spending days searching up and down the river Wyre, Faulding was convinced Bulley was not in the water, suspecting a third-party was involved. In the end, this theory was proved incorrect, as Bulley was found in the river three weeks later.
There was some criticism in the way Faulding handled the search for Nicola - College of Policing chief executive Chief Constable Andy Marsh, said: "His interactions with the media weren't coordinated with constabulary media releases and it certainly led to complications and challenges for the force."
Faulding later claimed in a YouTube that he in fact did find Bulley in the river six minutes into his search, but was ignored by police. In a social media post in December, he said he'd found the body using a 1800 KHz side scan sonar but that the "police dive team told me the target was nothing".
Meanwhile, Wiltshire Police, Wiltshire Search and Rescue and Avon and Somerset Police continue to conduct their searches with dive teams working in the river.
Wiltshire Police released another urgent appeal over the weekend for anyone who might have captured images which could be helpful on dashcam or Ring Doorbell and CCTV to come forward.
Chief Inspector for the county, Ben Huggins, said: “Seb has now been missing since late on Thursday evening and we and his family are extremely worried about him.
“Finding him is a Force priority and we are utilising extensive resources to locate him, including exploring different routes he may have taken.
“Volunteers from other agencies are also heavily involved in the search and I would like to thank them for their efforts. I also ask that members of the public don’t fly any drones near them to ensure that they are able to conduct their searches effectively.
“Sebastian's family are being supported by specially trained officers.
“If you see Sebastian or know anything about his whereabouts or disappearance, please report it on 999 quoting log 141 of February 28.”
Photo - Sebastian Sailes
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