Leicester river - latest: Nicola Bulley diving expert Peter Faulding joins search for missing two-year old boy
Diving expert Peter Faulding will join the search for toddler Xielo Maruziva who is missing in the River Soar
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Your support makes all the difference.The diving expert who joined the hunt for missing mother Nicola Bulley last year has been called in to help find a missing toddler in Leicestershire.
Peter Faulding, 61, who claimed to have found Ms Bulley’s body within six minutes in the River Wyre, Lancashire, has been recruited to find missing two-year-old Xielo Maruziva.
The “creative little boy” has been been missing since 18 February after he fell into the River Soar, Leicester, while out with his family in Aylestone Meadows.
Mr Faulding claimed Xielo’s family had contacted him to request his help, but that his offer of support was ignored by police.
Now, Mr Faulding and experts from private company Specialist Group International (SGI) will join the operation after “further conversations with search specialists and Xielo’s family”.
The search for the boy is in its second week, with the focus on the stretch of river around Watermead Park and Birstall over the weekend, police said.
Witness describes frantic search for Xielo
An eyewitness has described the moment Xielo’s father jumped into the River Soar to try and rescue his son, before he disappeared in the water on Sunday.
A 65-year-old woman, who is a nurse, said she was standing on a bridge when she saw a man enter the water on Sunday.
The woman, who didn’t want to be named, told the BBC: “I didn’t see the child fall in, but I heard shouting and at that point I didn’t know what was going on.
“I was running to tell the man to get out the water because it was absolutely torrent. I saw the man disappear under the arch. Then I knew there was a child in the water and I tried to look myself.”
Watch - Leicester police dogs continue search for missing toddler in River Soar yesterday
Leicester City Council comment on missing two-year-old
A spokesman for Leicester City Council said: “Aylestone Meadows is a vast expanse of public open space that stretches for around two miles from the south of Leicester to central Leicester, and has dozens of points of unrestricted entry.
“It operates as a natural flood plain for the River Soar, and is critical to managing flood risk for the city.“The city council has worked closely with the Environment Agency over many decades, investing hundreds of millions of pounds in flood relief across Leicester, but of course the frequency of flooding is increasing here, as it is elsewhere in the country.
“Our thoughts are with Xielo’s family.”
Search continues into sixth day for missing boy
The search for two-year-old Xielo Maruziva continues into its sixth day, Leicestershire Police have confirmed.
It comes as the force had difficulties yesterday due to substantial rainfall.
A Leicestershire Police spokesman told The Independent yesterday: “Rain is having an impact on the level of search and it is currently hammering down over Leicestershire.”
Search for two-year-old boy in Leicester river continues
'Beautiful little boy’
People have left messages on social media in support of the rescue effort after the missing toddler was named by police.
One person said: “So heartbreaking. Beautiful little boy. Thinking of the family and all emergency services and volunteers undertaking the search.”
Another said: “Beautiful child. Thoughts with his family and all those working with them as well as on the meadows search x”
And another wrote: “Heartbreaking so sad thoughts and prayers with his poor family.
Witness describes frantic search for Xielo
An eyewitness has described the moment Xielo’s father jumped into the River Soar to try and rescue his son, before he disappeared in the water.
A 65-year-old woman, who is a nurse, said she was standing on a bridge when she saw a man enter the water on Sunday.
The woman, who didn’t want to be named, told the BBC: “I didn’t see the child fall in, but I heard shouting and at that point I didn’t know what was going on.
“I was running to tell the man to get out the water because it was absolutely torrent. I saw the man disappear under the arch. Then I knew there was a child in the water and I tried to look myself.”
Bad weather has posed difficulties for search efforts
Leicestershire locals have said the initial search for Xielo would have been hindered by the muddy water rising out of the River Soar, after weeks of bad weather.
One local to the nature reserve, said: “I live not too far away from there and go past the River Soar & Grand Union Canal every day. In good weather the river is shallow and clear, but it’s been high for ages and looks like mud.
“The whole area is a floodplain and has been bad on and off for months.”
Pictured: ‘Cheeky’ toddler missing in the River Soar
Forces using, dogs, drones and kayaks to search for Xielo
Leicestershire Police said officers had received a “large number of responses” from an appeal for witnesses to come forward.
However the force has urged members of the public not to attempt their own searches.
It comes after the Metropolitan Police’s marine recovery dogs and rescue teams from Kent and West Mercia forces joined the operation on Tuesday.
The National Police Air Service and a drone unit have been supporting officers on the ground, while teams have also used night-vision goggles to search the water at night.
Environment Agency officers have also supported the operation with specialist mapping equipment, which has assisted police in identifying key search areas.
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