Friend says Devon fisherman who died saved him with mayday

A man who died after his boat sank during a fishing trip has been thanked for saving a friend who was onboard.

Seventy-four-year-old Peter Cloke's 20ft (6m) boat Petrel sank eight miles off Torquay on 19 May, but he put out a mayday call before it went down.

His friend, who did not want to be named, told Mr Cloke's family the boat sank "almost instantly" and Mr Cloke had been trapped in the cabin.

"I owe him my life," the survivor told the family.

"I was only rescued because Peter managed to put out a mayday call just before the boat sank," he said

The survivor said: "Peter was unable to exit the cabin of the boat before it sank."

He said: "The ingress of water was slow at first but became catastrophic very quickly, upending and sinking the boat almost instantly."

The body of Mr Cloke, from Ide near Exeter, Devon, was found 12 days later.

His family - wife Sue, three grown-up children and four grandchildren - said he would be "sorely missed".

They said: "We are perplexed as to how Petrel, such a reliable and sold vessel, came to take on water and sink so quickly in calm conditions."

The boat had been berthed in Exmouth Marina and had been recently serviced.

Gareth Awbrey, chair of the Exmouth Deep Sea Fishing Club, said Mr Cloke "loved his fishing" and would be remembered "for his willingness to help others, his smile and his impressive tally of fishing trophies over the years".

An inquest into the death has been opened and adjourned.

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