A teen from Lancashire vanished exactly 45 years ago on the same stretch of river as missing Nicola Bulley, with his brother describing the painful months before they found his body.
Roger Jones disappeared into a brook which feeds into the River Wyre - the waterway police believe Nicola slipped and fell into – on January 27, 1978.
His brother Don has now told of the strange similarities between the disappearances of his younger sibling and Nicola .
The 16-year-old had been thrown into the water after a motorbike collision, but his body wasn’t found until two months later.
A search for Nicola Bulley by private divers ended yesterday
Danny Lawson
Don said his brother was found seven miles away from St Michael's on Wyre - the town Nicola was last spotted.
He added that the river conditions when Roger went missing were “pretty similar” to Nicola’s disappearance.
“He was obviously swept over the weir and into the tidal part of the river,” he told the Daily Star.
“It was just a case of waiting for what seemed inevitable."
Don said his devastated family were “exhausted” by time Roger’s body was found.
The teenager, who was about to set off on his dream of being a farmer, had been a passenger on a motorbike when it crashed into a car on a narrow bridge in Woodplumpton, near Preston.
Onlookers rushed to help the driver, who was unconscious, but were unaware that another person had also been onboard the bike.
Hours later police returned to the bridge after being told Roger was missing.
Don said: "We feel so much for Nicola's family and friends. We know just what they must be going through."
Nicola Bulley went missing while walking her dog almost two weeks ago
Danny Lawson
He added that his family had to put up with “clairvoyants and spiritualists” when Roger was missing, which “proved very upsetting, especially for our mum”.
A private diving firm, who have been scouring the river for Nicola, ended their three-day search yesterday.
Founder of Specialist Group International (SGI), Peter Faulding concluded that Nicola did not fall into the river.
Police have been working on the hypothesis that Nicola slipped into the water and drowned.
But said there was still a “possibility” that Nicola left the area by one path not covered by cameras which is crossed by the main road through the village.
