Partner of mum who died after being stuck head-first in rocks emotional statement as revealed she 'could've been saved'

A mum who drowned after getting stuck headfirst in sea defence rocks may have survived if a call to the fire service was made quicker, according to a coroner.

An inquest heard how emergency services responded to Saffron Cole-Nottage when she slipped and fell head-first onto rocks near The Esplanade in Lowestoft, Suffolk, on 2 February last year.

Then at 7.52pm, a young girl called 999 and within the first 30 seconds of the call explained to an ambulance service call handler that Cole-Nottage, 32, was 'caught head down in the rock' by the 'seafront'.

Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service was the last of the four emergency services who were notified, with the first communication to the fire service at 8.04pm.

A coroner has said that Saffron Cole-Nottage, 32, of Lowestoft, Suffolk, might have been saved if the ambulance service had acted quicker (PA)

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.

Stewart concluded that 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'.

“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,” Stewart said.

In an emotional statement, her partner Michael Wheeler added: “Time was short but her impact was long-lasting. Her children will carry her spirit forward.

“Saff was truly one of a kind, bubbly, fun, and full of life. She had the rare ability to light up any room, lifting the spirits of those around her.

The coroner said the East of England Ambulance Service 'didn’t immediately contact the fire service' (Getty Stock Images)

"It has been a long and difficult 15 months to get here. We have finally got some closure and an understanding of what actually happened to Saff that night.

"Hopefully the emergency services have listened to the coroner and going forward no other family has to go through what we went through.”

Neill Moloney, EEAST's chief executive officer, said: "We accept the coroner's findings and note the decision to issue a Prevention of Future Deaths report.

"We are deeply sorry Saffron didn't receive the care she deserved, and we offer our sincere apologies to her family for the distress caused by this tragic incident.

"The inquest has identified important areas where our response can and must improve, particularly in how incidents are assessed, prioritised and escalated in their early stages.

"We are carefully considering the coroner's observations and have already begun work to strengthen our call handling and clinical triage processes, as well as our coordination with partner emergency services."