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Coroner: Faster Alert Could Have Saved Rock-Trapped Woman
15 May
Summary
- Woman died after becoming stuck headfirst in sea defence rocks.
- Coroner cited a delay by ambulance service in alerting fire service.
- Faster fire service notification might have prevented the drowning.
A tragic incident on February 2, 2025, saw Saffron Cole-Nottage, 32, drown after becoming trapped headfirst in sea defence rocks in Lowestoft, Suffolk. The incident occurred as the tide was coming in while she was walking with her daughter.
Concerns were raised by the Suffolk area coroner, Darren Stewart, regarding the response time of the emergency services. He noted that the East of England ambulance service did not immediately contact the fire service, which was the last to be notified.
Stewart indicated that had the fire service been alerted sooner, it was possible Cole-Nottage could have been freed more quickly. He also expressed concern over a "failure" to follow guidelines regarding submerged persons and what he described as a "premature decision to consider Saffron to be deceased" by a paramedic.
The coroner plans to write to the chief executive of the East of England ambulance service and the head of NHS England with his concerns. These include the time taken to identify the incident as a rescue and to relay this information to the fire service.
