Mum caught head-first in rocks with legs in air earlier than she drowned in entrance of daughter
Saffron Cole-Nottage, 32, died in an incident while walking her dog with her 11-year-old daughter in Lowestoft, Suffolk, an ongoing inquest has heard
People frantically tried to help Saffron Cole-Nottage, 32 (Image: Facebook)
A “beautiful” mum-of-three tragically died after becoming wedged between massive boulders in a sea defence wall. Passersby who frantically tried to help described it as feeling like “an eternity” before emergency crews reached the scene, an inquest has been told.
Saffron Cole-Nottage, 32, drowned following a slip and fall that left her trapped upside down as the tide rose beneath the Esplanade in Lowestoft, Suffolk. She had been walking her dog with her daughter when the devastating accident occurred in February 2025.
Suffolk Coroner’s Court heard that while the initial 999 call came through at 7.52pm, fire services weren’t deployed until 8.10pm – a crucial 18-minute delay. During this time, bystanders tried desperately to assist Ms Cole-Nottage, but when rescue teams finally managed to extract her, she was already unresponsive, the hearing was told.
Area Coroner Mr Darren Stewart informed an inquest that the proceedings, set to wrap up next Friday (May 15), will examine the emergency services’ response and the decision-making process regarding how Ms Cole-Nottage’s situation was classified for priority, according to the Eastern Daily Press.
Ms Cole-Nottage was remembered as “bubbly, fun and full of life” and a cherished daughter, sister and mother who “gave just as much love as she received” during the proceedings.
Witness statements recounted the horrifying moment when passers-by rushed to Ms Cole-Nottage’s rescue after hearing her cries for help.
One witness described in written testimony presented to the court how he had heard shouting and spotted a man racing towards where she had fallen, reports the Mirror.
He detailed how the two men spotted her legs protruding from the rocks where she had tumbled head-first and become wedged between the boulders. The pair did their utmost to try and pull her out and another individual joined in to assist but, despite their valiant efforts, it was impossible to free her.
Another man recounted the horrifying moment he realised Ms Cole-Nottage had become unresponsive as they attempted to free her, and he noticed the tide had come in.
A third onlooker stated it “felt like an eternity” waiting for the emergency services to arrive. The Mirror has previously reported how Ms Cole-Nottage’s 11 year old daughter, who was with her mother when she slipped and became trapped, frantically tried to help free her alongside the two men.
Speaking shortly after her heartbreaking death, distraught friends questioned how such a bizarre accident could have occurred.
Conditions on the coastal path at the time were compared 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 continues.
