A 32-year-old woman who drowned after becoming trapped head-first in rocks on a seafront in Suffolk last year might have survived if emergency services had acted more swiftly, a coroner has said. Saffron Cole-Nottage, from Lowestoft, was walking with her daughter and their dog when the incident occurred in February 2023.

The inquest, held over several days in Ipswich, examined the sequence and coordination of the emergency response that followed the distress call. It revealed delays in notifying the fire service, which may have contributed to the fatal outcome. The coroner noted that while it was not certain she could have been saved, an earlier alert to Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service could have shortened the time Ms. Cole-Nottage remained trapped.

A 999 call was placed at 7:52 p.m., but the call handler initially did not grasp the urgency posed by the rising tide. Suffolk Fire and Rescue was the last of four emergency services involved to be informed. The ambulance service's paramedics arrived at 8:10 p.m., and three minutes later, they informed police that the incident was likely a body recovery. This assessment went against standard guidance for paramedics to attempt a rescue for up to 30 minutes.

The inquest revealed that both ambulance crews and the coastguard waited on the fire service before approaching Ms. Cole-Nottage due to a lack of appropriate personal protective equipment for water rescue. Firefighters arrived at the scene by 8:22 p.m. and were able to free her within approximately half a minute of reaching her at 8:29 p.m. Ms. Cole-Nottage was pronounced dead at 8:44 p.m.

Coroner Darren Stewart, delivering a narrative conclusion, recorded the cause of death as drowning due to accidental circumstances. He indicated that the East of England Ambulance Service’s delay in contacting the fire service was a critical factor and announced plans to raise concerns in writing to both the ambulance service’s chief executive and NHS England leadership.

Representing the family, solicitor Will Whitaker expressed sorrow over the tragic loss and acknowledged the challenging conditions faced by responders. However, he also emphasized the need for an improved emergency response, stressing that the public deserves an efficient and coordinated service during life-threatening emergencies. Whitaker hopes the coroner’s findings will prompt all agencies involved to reflect on the case and implement measures to prevent similar outcomes in the future.