Saffron Cole-Nottage, 32, was walking by the sea in Lowestoft, Suffolk, when she slipped and fell, becoming stuck head-down between two boulders
A “beautiful” mum-of-three died after she became trapped between giant boulders in a sea defence wall with witnesses saying it felt like “an eternity” before emergency services arrived, an inquest has heard.
Saffron Cole-Nottage, 32, drowned after slipping and falling, before becoming trapped head-down during a rising tide beneath the Esplanade in Lowestoft, Suffolk.
She was on a dog walk with her daughter when the tragic incident happened in February 2025. Suffolk Coroner’s Court has heard that an initial 999 call was made at 7.52pm but the fire service was not mobilised until 8.10pm, 18 minutes later. Meanwhile desperate members of the public attempted to help Ms Cole-Nottage but, by the time rescue crews were able to free her, she was unresponsive, the inquest was told.
Area Coroner Mr Darren Stewart OBE told the inquest today that the hearing, expected to conclude next Friday (May 15), will look at the response of the emergency services and the decision-making as to how Ms Cole-Nottage’s case was prioritised, the Eastern Daily Press reported.
Ms Cole-Nottage was described as “bubbly, fun and full of life” and a much-loved daughter, sister and mother who “gave just as much love as she received” during the hearing.
Witness evidence recalled the terrifying moment passers-by came to Ms Cole-Nottage’s aid after hearing screams. One witness described in written evidence read out to the court how he had heard shouts and seen a man running to where she had fallen.
He described how the two men could see her legs sticking out of the rocks where she had fallen head-first and become stuck between the boulders. The pair tried their best to pull her free and another joined to help but, despite their best efforts, it was impossible to free her.
A second man recalled the terrible moment that he realised Ms Cole-Nottage had become unresponsive as they tried to free her, and he saw the tide had come in.
A third witness said it “felt like an eternity” for the emergency services to arrive. The Mirror has previously reported how Ms Cole-Nottage’s 11-year-old daughter, who was walking with her mother when she slipped and got stuck, desperately tried to help free her alongside the two men.
Speaking shortly after her tragic death, devastated friends asked how such a freak accident could have happened. Conditions on the coastal path at the time were likened to an “ice rink” by locals. One friend said: “Everyone is in disbelief. She was with her 11-year-old daughter. They were walking along. Jess was holding the dog and Saff fell. Apparently the temperature dropped and the surface became like ice. She slipped.”
The inquest is set to continue tomorrow.
