A woman who died after apparently falling and becoming wedged between rocks at a seafront was submerged under water and unconscious by the time emergency services arrived.
Questions have been asked about the death of Saffron Cole-Nottage after the tragic accident while out walking her dog with her 11-year-old daughter, Jessica.
These have included how emergency workers weren’t able to pull her free in time and why breathing apparatus couldn’t be used to help her.
There have also been claims the tide would have been out at the time in Lowestoft, Suffolk.
But it now appears the mother-of-three may already have died or that she was too far gone to be saved by the time coastguard officers, police and paramedics arrived on the evening of February 2.
A source told a local newspaper that Ms Cole-Nottage was already ‘underwater and unresponsive’ by the time assistance turned up.
In a further push back against friends’ concerns that mistakes were made, emergency services have stated ‘instant’ action was taken and there is no need for an inquiry into the handling of the incident.
Suffolk Police said there would be no internal investigation by its Professional Standards Department and it would not be referring itself to the Independent Office of Police Conduct.
A spokesman added: ‘A file has been prepared for the coroner and the full circumstances of the death will now be subject to inquest proceedings. Therefore, it is important not to speculate.’
A Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service spokesman said: ‘SFRS sent specialist teams from both fire stations in Lowestoft. Crews mobilised immediately and, once on scene, instantly carried out a rescue and into the care of the ambulance service.
‘There will now be a formal multi-agency debrief, as is standard practice for an incident of this nature.’
They added: ‘This is a tragic incident and our deepest sympathies are with the family and friends of Ms Cole-Nottage.’
East of England Ambulance Service didn’t comment other than to say it would have followed national guidance for the incident.
Ms Cole-Nottage was out with her dog and young daughter at around 8pm when she apparently slipped and fell between algae-covered boulders that were ‘like an ice rink’ according to locals, despite warning signs on either side of the treacherous area.
She is understood to have grown up in the area before moving to Kent, where she worked in a pub, and later moving back to Lowestoft, suggesting she would have been familiar with the spot and the risks it posed.
A investigation found tide tables showed high tide was four hours away at the time she died and it was only a couple of hours after low tide.
The source’s comments suggest she might have become wedged between the rocks at a spot where a pool of water had formed.
A friend of Ms Cole-Nottage, who asked not to be named, said after details first emerged: ‘I believe she was out with her dog and was walking on the path when she slipped and got trapped.
‘I think she had one daughter with her. It must have been horrific.’
Emergency services have stated there were no ‘suspicious circumstances’ in the lead-up to the death of Ms Cole-Nottage, who also had an eight-month-old baby, Hudson, and another daughter Jasmine, seven, with her partner Mike Wheeler.
In an emotional tribute left at the scene to the mother of his children, Mr Wheeler, 42, wrote: ‘There are now words to express how much we will miss you.
The world is so cruel and to take you in this freak, horrific way will not sit well with me for the rest of my life.’
Another heartbreaking tribute left on a railing said: ‘One tribute left on railing said: ‘My beautiful mummy, I love you the world.’
Friends described Ms Cole-Nottage as a ‘beautiful mother’ who will be ‘forever missed’.
A 65-year-man who has lived in Lowestoft all his life said: ‘The path is treacherous at any time of day but even more so at night.
‘The surface is just like green slime. It is like an ice rink and slippery as hell. If you slip over, you could easily hit the rocks and end up breaking your leg or your neck.’