Late boat skipper hailed a hero after saving friend's life
Peter Cloke was commended for saving pensioner Richard Bayly (corr) in the incident in May 2023.
Mr Cloke, 73, had been out on his 20 foot boat Petrel with Richard when the vessel suffered a catastrophic failure after leaving Exmouth where Peter was a well known member of the marine community.
Retired civil servant Peter managed to make a Mayday call just before the vessel sank eight miles off Torbay in calm conditions.
But an Exeter inquest heard that Peter, of Ide, Devon, became trapped in the wheelhouse as the boat sank. His body was recovered 12 days later.
Mr Bayly said that water started filling the rear of the boat and the two men started to bail out the water, but the water then came over the stern of the boat.
Former teacher Peter - who was awarded an OBE in 2002 for services to education - became trapped inside the cabin as the boat quickly sank.
Mr Bayly had his life jacket on and was lifted up by the water and was pulled away from the Petrel.
He said earlier: "I was only rescued because Peter managed to put out a Mayday call just before the boat sank. I owe him my life."
He said the 'ingress of water was slow at first but became catastrophic very quickly, upending and sinking the boat almost immediately'.
Mr Cloke's family asked the police to check CCTV from Exmouth marina covering the period from the day before the incident to when it left on its last trip, but police said they did not have it.
The family wanted to know whether it was possible the boat had been damaged while it was berthed in the marina before she went to sea that morning but the lack of obtaining CCTV from the marina was a failure by the police and the family will never know the answer.
An attempt to raise the boat failed when a line snapped because it was too heavy and it remains on the sea floor, the coroner heard.
Det Con Charlotte Craven said her impression was there was a 'potential malfunction out at sea' and 'a sudden failure' that led to a catastrophic amount of water ingressing which led to Mr Cloke being trapped in the wheelhouse.
She said Mr Cloke's actions should be commended in saving the life of his friend.
The coroner said no one will exactly know why the boat took on water and why it sank but said police said there were no suspicious circumstances.
The area coroner Nicholas Lane recorded a conclusion of accidental death.
He said 'for reasons unknown' the Petrel began to take on water and sank with Mr Cloke trapped in the cabin.
He said the boat was in good condition and well serviced.
Mr Cloke, who was originally from Cawsand, Cornwall, was described as an experienced fisherman and a competent and capable helmsman.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
8 hours ago
- New York Post
Son of VA bowling billionaire wins bid to seal bitter divorce case after wife said he cheated with nanny, dumped her on Christmas Day
The son of a Virginia bowling billionaire embroiled in a bitter divorce worth tens of millions won a bid to seal his divorce case ahead of a courthouse showdown next week with his estranged psychologist wife. Race car-loving scion Peter Goodwin was granted his request by an Albermarle County Circuit Court judge Monday to have the entire divorce case sealed, stretching back to when he first filed to split from wife and mother of his four children Cara Goodwin in January, court records show. 5 Peter Goodwin has won a bid to seal the divorce case he filed against his estranged wife Cara Goodwin. Advertisement The sealing order means that all of the court papers in the case will no longer be publicly accessible, including Cara's accusations that Peter dumped her on Christmas Day 2023 as she held their 4-month-old baby and his papers admitting to having an affair with their former nanny Annette Lombard. The estranged couple, both 40, are slated to face each other in court in Charlottesville on Aug. 27 in a hearing that is currently slated to be open to the public, court records show. 5 Cara accused Peter of having an affair with their former nanny Annette Lombard (pictured). Facebook / Annette Lombard Advertisement Peter, whose dad is uber-successful entrepreneur William Goodwin, proceeded to spend the months after he announcement cavorting with Lombard, 27, and engaging 'in adulterous acts' with her at fancy hotels like the Four Seasons in Surfside, Fla. and at a ski resort in Jackson Hole, Wyo, court papers alleged. Lombard initially began working for the couple around 2019 when she was 21 and an undergrad at the University of Virginia — which William sat on the board of four years after being appointed by former Gov. George Allen and again by ex-Gov. Bob McDonnell. By 2020, Lombard started working at Peter's office and was eventually promoted to vice president of the company, Cara alleged in court papers. 5 A race car-loving Peter is the son of Virginia billionaire William Goodwin. Advertisement One text exchange revealed the extent of hostilities between the separated duo, according to a report by the Daily Mail. 'Did your family find out what really happened and that you were lying to them too?' Cara wrote. 'I offered you $45 million and a lot of custody for years of marriage,' Peter replied. 'You trounce around your palace with 2 housekeepers and nanny and still think I owe you more. You can't even engage in conversation unless it's 100% what you want.' 5 Peter and Cara share four children. Advertisement 'I am far from perfect and have surely made some mistakes,' Peter continued. 'I felt I didn't like the way you treated me or made me feel. People get divorced because of anger and resentment, not for some one-time thrill.' 'You have no idea how to coparent… instead you threaten me about the schedule. Disparage me. Restrict my time with the kids… stomp on my boundaries,' Peter said. 5 Cara accused Peter of breaking up with her on Christmas day 2023 as she held their 4-month-old daughter. Instagram/parentingtranslator William Goodwin had his hand in a slew of businesses including co-owning the AMF Bowling chain and running investment entities CCA Industries and the Riverstone Group — which has interests in everything from Kiawah Island Golf Resort in South Carolina to the tony Jefferson Hotel in Richmond, Va. William has donated tens of millions of dollars to help fund education and cancer research. A rep for Peter declined to comment. Cara's lawyer didn't immediately return a request for comment.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
Teenager denies kidnapping and robbing 'urban explorers'
A TEENAGER has denied taking part in the "terrifying" robbery and false imprisonment of four 'urban explorers' at a derelict property a Gilsland. At Carlisle's Rickergate court, the 17-year-old – who cannot be named for legal reasons – formally entered not guilty pleas to three allegations of robbery and four counts of kidnapping or falsely imprisoning the alleged victims. Magistrates were given a detailed outline of the allegations by prosecutor Peter Kelly. He said the alleged victims were so-called 'urban explorers,' who say they were confronted by a group of males, including the defendant, on July 26 as they were looking around the large derelict building at Gilsland. In a statement, one spoke of being "terrified." It is alleged there were up to four males involved and that the defendant at one point used a baseball bat to attack one of the victims, repeatedly striking him on the legs before robbing him, taking his phone, tobacco and lighter. Magistrates ruled that the case can be dealt with at the city's Rickergate court, and they set a provisional trial date of September 25. In the meantime, the teenager, who was represented by defence lawyer Sean Harkin, was remanded in a secure youth detention facility. Throughout the hearing, the defendant's father and cousin were in the court. The defendant spoke only to confirm that he understood the hearing and to confirm his personal details. The youth appeared before the court via a prison video link.
New York Post
11-08-2025
- New York Post
Peter Goodwin of Virginia cheats on wife with former nanny: court papers
They're headed for a 50/50 split. The married son of a powerful Virginia bowling billionaire had a seamy affair with his kids' ex-nanny — and callously informed his wife he wanted a divorce as she held their baby Christmas Day, bombshell court papers claim. The sordid marital strife now rocking one of the Old Dominion State's most prominent families pits Rolex- and race car-loving scion Peter Goodwin, 40, against wife Cara Goodwin, a 40-year-old popular clinical psychologist. Advertisement 6 Peter Goodwin, the son of prominent Virginia billionaire William Goodwin, is divorcing his wife Cara after having an affair with their former nanny, court papers claim. 6 Goodwin allegedly stayed at hotels around the country with his kids' ex-nanny, Annette Lombard, court papers say. Instagram/Annette Lombard Peter — whose uber-successful dad William Goodwin is a former co-owner of the AMF Bowling chain, among a slew of other mega business ventures — kicked off the pair's divorce battle when he delivered his ill-timed big reveal to Cara over the 2023 holiday at their Virginia estate, according to documents obtained by The Post. Advertisement Cara 'sat in front of him holding their four-month-old daughter' as he told her they were through and fled, screaming obscenities while the couple's other three kids watched, read the court papers filed by Cara in Albemarle County Circuit Court. Within six days of leaving his wife, the dad of four and his blond younger honey, former family nanny Annette Lombard, were romping together at the posh Four Seasons Hotel at the Surf Club in Surfside, Fla., the documents allege. Over the next few months, the illicit pair 'engaged in adulterous acts'' everywhere from Jackson Hole, Wyo., to the former couple's Palm Beach, Fla., pad, the papers say. 6 Peter's Instagram page features dozens of sports cars and luxury watches. Advertisement Lombard, now 27, began working for the couple around age 21, starting in 2019 while she was an undergrad at the University of Virginia, court papers say. Beginning in the spring of 2020, Lombard lived with Peter and Cara and the kids for about a year as she cared for the children during the pandemic, according to the documents. She became so close to the kids that they referred to her as their sister, the filing says. That same year, Peter hired Lombard to also work for him at his office — and eventually promoted her to a vice president of his company. Advertisement But by the end of the year, Cara told her husband of her 'growing discomfort regarding the nature of his interactions with'' Lombard, which he 'dismissed,'' the documents say. 6 Cara claims in court papers that Peter told her on Christmas Day 2023 that he was leaving her. Instagram/parentingtranslator Fewer than two years later, in August 2023, Cara had the couple's fourth child. The next month, Peter 'began expressing strong desire for more independence and time away from his family to focus on his own self-care,'' the divorce papers say. Peter's Instagram page, under the username 'timetodrive5,' features the tagline 'just trying to keep the revs high.' It has dozens of posts of sports cars, race cars and luxury watches, and he has nearly 17,000 followers. Cara's Instagram page meanwhile has the username 'parentingtranslator' and says she has a PhD in child psychology. 6 Peter and Cara have four children together, with the youngest just 4 months old when Peter left Cara, court papers allege. Advertisement The page, which has 135,000 followers, features parenting advice, memes and research. Peter's dad, William, retired as the head of investment entities CCA Industries and the Riverstone Group, which has interests in everything from the Kiawah Island Golf Resort in South Carolina to the posh Jefferson Hotel in Richmond, Va. He has been featured in the press through the years for his philanthropic work, donating tens of millions of dollars to cancer research and to education. William was also appointed to the UVA board by former Virginia Gov. George Allen and again by ex-Gov. Bob McDonnell. Advertisement His son filed for divorce from Cara in January 2025, court records show. Peter admitted to the affair in his response to Cara's allegations in her own documents. 6 Peter is known for his love of the finest things in life. Instagram/timetodrive5 The estranged couple was hitched in 2014 and have two daughters, ages 2 and 9, and two sons, ages 5 and 7, court papers show. They have a prenup agreement. Advertisement Cara is seeking half of their marital assets — including from their companies — child support and $500,000 to pay lawyers and experts as she fights the divorce case, the filings show. They currently share custody of their children after working out an agreement on that front in Feb. 27, 2024, the filing says. A rep for Cara and a representative for Peter separately declined to comment. Lombard did not return Post requests for comment. Peter filed a motion last month to seal the divorce case, which Cara's side is opposing.
