'Expert' diver involved in Nicola Bulley case to join river search for missing two-year-old boy
26.02.2024 - 21:57
/ manchestereveningnews.co.uk
An "expert" diver who was involved in the search for Nicola Bulley is to be brought in to help find a missing two-year-old. Xielo Maruziva fell into the River Soar in Aylestone, Leicestershire, more than two weeks ago.
A major search has so far failed to find him. Leicestershire Police has now confirmed that a specialist team led by Peter Faulding that helped look for Ms Bulley in Lancashire is joining the search.
The move comes days after Xielo's family appealed to police to involve the organisation, called Specialist Group International (SGI). The force also said today that the boundary of the search area had been widened, and now covered a stretch of the River Soar around Watermead Park and Birstall, the Mirror reports.
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SGI will be joining the search from tomorrow (Tuesday), the force said, following “further conversations” with search specialists and Xielo’s family. Xielo fell into the River Soar at Aylestone Meadows just after 5pm on Sunday, February 18, in what has been described as a “tragic set of circumstances.”
Mr Faulding, 61, said his offers to help had been "ignored" for more than a week by Leicestershire Police while family members were wanting him to get involved.
Leicestershire officers are being supported by specialist diving teams from Nottinghamshire Police and Lincolnshire Police, as well as other forces and search and rescue teams from across the region and country. Assistant chief constable Michaela Kerr said: “We continue to be grateful to the support we’ve been shown by the public and colleagues from other forces and agencies.
“We’re in regular contact with Xielo’s family and are continuing to support them in what remains a