Caption: Nicola Bulley’s dive experts join search for missing toddler
credit: SWNS
Underwater experts involved in the search for Nicola Bulley have been drafted in to help find a two-year-old boy missing after falling into a river in Leicester.
Xielo Maruziva fell into the River Soar while out with his family in Aylestone Meadows on February 18.
His dad leapt into the water in a desperate bid to save the youngster but he has yet to be found and the search for the him is now in its second week.
Leicestershire Police has so far been supported by specialist diving teams from neighbouring forces, but from today experts from Specialist Group International (SGI) will join the operation.
SGI is a private company which was involved in the search for Nicola Bulley in the River Wyre in Lancashire last year.
Police said they have been called in after ‘further conversations with search specialists and Xielo’s family’.
Xielo Maruziva went missing after he fell into the River Soar (Picture: Leicestershire Police/SWNS)
The focus of the search was on the stretch of river around Watermead Park and Birstall over the weekend (Picture: Tom Maddick/SWNS)
Following the search for Ms Bulley, a review of the police’s handling of the investigation found that some of the behaviour and activities of SGI’s CEO Peter Faulding ‘caused challenges’.
In an interview posted on YouTube, Mr Faulding insisted he found Ms Bulley’s body within six minutes of starting his search.
But head of the College of Policing Andy Marsh questioned the ‘credibility’ of those claims, telling journalists the area was searched three times before two independent experts concluded an object detected by SGI was ‘unlikely’ to be a body.
Mr Faulding was later taken off a list of police experts, a decision he said was made ‘for no reason’ which had ‘damaged’ his reputation.
Diving expert Peter Faulding (Picture: Tom Maddick/SWNS)
Leicestershire Police 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 very upsetting time.
‘Our search operation to locate Xielo continues to widen as we know he may have travelled further from where he went into the water, and potentially outside our force area.
‘I would like to reassure you that our operation is continuing, and our teams will be carrying out co-ordinated searches at various points along the river.’
Officers from Leicestershire Police continue to be supported by specialist diving teams from other forces and search and rescue teams from across the region and country (Picture: Tom Maddick/SWNS)
She continued: ‘Our decision to involve SGI in the search (is) in liaison with Xielo’s family and having spoken to both the company and independent specialists.
‘I’d also like to remind the public that the river is dangerous and that they should not go into the water themselves.’
The focus of the search was on the stretch of river around Watermead Park and Birstall over the weekend, police said.
Xielo’s parents described their son as a ‘cheeky, funny’ boy who is ‘a bundle of joy’.
His mum said: ‘Me, his dad and the whole family are so heartbroken at what has happened.
‘We thank everyone who has supported us and helped us during this time. We are extremely grateful for this.
‘All we want is for Xielo to be found as soon as possible.’
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.