Mum who drowned trapped in rocks might have been saved if fire service had been told faster

A mum who drowned after getting stuck headfirst in sea defence rocks might have been saved if the ambulance service had alerted the fire service more quickly, a coroner has said. Saffron Cole-Nottage , 32, and her daughter were walking their dog along The Esplanade in Lowestoft, Suffolk, on February 2 last year when she slipped and fell and then became trapped headfirst in the rocks as the tide was coming in. A girl called 999 at 7.52pm and, within the first 30 seconds of the call, explained to an ambulance service call handler that Ms Cole-Nottage was "caught head down in the rock" by the "seafront". At 7.57pm and 7.58pm the caller made reference to Ms Cole-Nottage "screaming", before stating at 7.59pm that she was "in the water now". Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service was the last of the four emergency services to be notified, with the first communication to the fire service at 8.04pm. Firefighters were on scene at 8.22pm and Suffolk area coroner Darren Stewart said it took them "less than half a minute" to free her after first hands were placed on her at 8.29pm. She was declared dead at 8.44pm. Recording a narrative conclusion on Friday, the coroner said Ms Cole-Nottage "died from drowning which has come about due to accidental circumstances". He said the East of England Ambulance Service "didn’t immediately contact the fire service". He continued: "Had the Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service been immediately alerted to the incident … it’s possible that Saffron would have been extricated from the rocks sooner and survived. However, it's not probable she would have done so." He described Ms Cole-Nottage, who worked as a cleaner, as a "loving mother completely devoted to her children". The coroner noted that Ms Cole-Nottage "had been drinking" on the day of the accident. The inquest previously heard that rescue efforts to try to save Ms Cole-Nottage did not follow guidance . Professor Richard Lyon, a consultant in emergency medicine, told the inquest on Tuesday that a "clock" should start on 30 minutes of rescue efforts once a responder arrives at the scene and confirms a person is submerged. Prof Lyon, who holds roles with NHS Scotland and the University of Surrey, said: "I do not think the guidance was followed in this case." He said: "The guidance is quite clear that the clock starts when the responder arrives on scene … and submersion is confirmed." He questioned "how sure the responders could be that Saffron was actually confirmed submerged when that decision [at 8.13pm] seemed to have been made from above the railings when she [Ms Cole-Nottage] was down in a difficult situation". Prof Lyon said it was "important to have an absolute time that everyone is working to and that time is sure and that’s definite". "That’s why the guidance is very clear that the time should be from the arrival of the first rescuer - there’s no ambiguity about that time," he said. "The whole purpose of the guideline is to maximise the chance of a lifesaving rescue." The inquest also heard that two men had tried to pull Ms Cole-Nottage out by her legs, which were the only part of her body visible. Ian Jones described her as "screaming and panicking", while Alex Singleton-Dent said it had "felt like ages" before emergency services arrived. Prof Lyon estimated Ms Cole-Nottage’s window for "probable survival" was around five minutes after submersion began. He added that being upside down would have made breathing "harder". The inquest was earlier told that a level of 271 milligrammes of alcohol per 100ml of blood was recorded for Ms Cole-Nottage. The legal limit for driving in England is 80 milligrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood. Ms Cole-Nottage's partner, Michael Wheeler, said in a statement read to the court that she had gone for a meal earlier in the day. He did not believe she was drunk and said she was not slurring her words when she set off on the walk. Prof Lyon said the effect of the alcohol is "most relevant in terms of it would make her more likely to stumble, more likely to trip". He said Ms Cole-Nottage’s "protective reflex would have been diminished", meaning she may not have put an arm out as she fell. "When she was between the rocks her ability to move … and try to push herself out would have been impaired as well," he said. Prof Lyon said: "For Saffron to have had a probable survival, she would have needed to be rescued within five minutes of submersion and, if required, for CPR to start within that time." He said that "survival was possible up until about the 15-minute mark", but she may have sustained a brain injury. "In my opinion, beyond 25 minutes, survival would not have been possible," he said. "I should stress, all of these numbers are a best possible expert opinion," he added.