Group who found mum trapped in rocks ‘told by 999 don’t rescue her’ before she died

Saffron Cole-Nottage, 32, was walking by the sea in Lowestoft, Suffolk, when she slipped and fell, becoming stuck head-down between two boulders as the water rose around her

Joe Smith

19:22, 06 May 2026Updated 23:51, 06 May 2026

Passers-by who found a mum stuck head first between massive boulders in a sea wall were told not to rescue her by a 999 operator before she drowned, an inquest has been told.

Saffron Cole-Nottage was on a dog walk with her daughter when she slipped and fell, becoming trapped between the rocks in a freak accident as the tide continued to rise.

The 32-year-old mum-of-three died despite the desperate efforts of several people who did their best to try and save her, Suffolk Coroner’s Court heard. One witness, Ian Jones, was “shocked to see two legs sticking out the water” the hearing was told today.

Mr Jones and another man tried to pull Saffron free but “just couldn’t pull her with enough force to free her”. The court was told there had been a “muddled response” when the first 999 call was made – with the operator recording that she was not near the water.

This meant emergency crews were delayed in reaching the scene and the emergency operator, who was not aware that the tide was rising, also urged passers-by not to try and rescue Saffron.

The inquest heard that an initial 999 call was made at 7.52pm but the fire service was not mobilised until 8.22pm, 30 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.

The delay was caused by the computer programme used by the 999 controller, which required them to ask specific questions and stopped them from getting a good overview of the incident. A transcript of the call showed that the caller had asked for an ambulance after a woman “had fallen off the pier and was trapped in between rocks and was unable to get out”.

The controller categorised the call as an “entrapment” which caused an “entrapment protocol” to be enacted. He did not initially record that she needed a specialist rescue and inadvertently selected a different option, although it was still recorded as a most serious Category One call, the court heard.

At 7.57pm a dispatcher from East of England Ambulance Service assigned a crew from Beccles, around a ten mile drive away, to be sent and the HM Coastguard were informed at 7.58pm.

The call handler asked if the woman’s head was in the water, and the caller replied that she was jammed in the rocks “further at the side” before adding: “This is really serious”.

The caller repeated: “She is not near the side. She is further away. We are trying to pull her up… She is like really screaming and everything… Her whole body is trapped.” At this stage, the call-handler urged the caller to tell people at the scene not to “attempt to rescue her”, and “not to move her”, saying: “Stay on the line, I’ll tell you what to do.

“Wait for the ambulance crew to arrive and tell her not to move”.

Area Coroner Mr Darren Stewart OBE told the inquest yesterday 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 the incident was prioritised. 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. The inquest continues.