By Viv Twornicki

when the boat he was in sank off Rame Head on Saturday a non-swimmer's life was saved by the lifejacket he had won for being top student on a Sea Survival Course.

Ed Norris, 21, from Landrake, was so delighted at his success on the course at Looe, he celebrated just 24 hours later by going fishing, which is his favourite pastime.

Ed slipped out into Plymouth Sound from the River Lynher near Polbathic, in a 14ft dory belonging to a friend, and had just begun fishing off Rame Head when he noticed there was water seeping into the boat through a crack.

Despite his best efforts to pump out the water it began gaining on him. He decided to head for shore, but in a matter of minutes the sea overwhelmed him and the boat sank.

'I tried to swim away from the boat but I went under with it,' said Ed. 'But all the training I had just had stopped me from panicking. Instead, in those few seconds I stayed calm, inflated my new lifejacket and bobbed back up to surface. Everything I had learned was going through my head.

'Without the training and the lifejacket I know I would have drowned. Both saved my life.'

Ed was in the water for about 15 minutes before a passing leisure craft picked him up and dropped him onshore at Saltash.

'I don't even know who they were, but when they came across to me they said I had seemed to have forgotten my boat!'

It wasn't until Ed got home and had a cup of coffee that he said he started to think about what had happened and his close escape. 'I think I was still in shock,' he said.

Because of what happened to him, Ed said he wanted to appeal to everyone who puts to sea to wear a lifejacket and learn how to use a VHF radio.

'Put safety first every time – it could save your life one day like it did mine,' he said.

The helm of Looe RNLI lifeboat, Clive Palfrey, of Marine Co based at Torpoint, had donated the lifejacket and presented it to Ed along with MP Sheryll Murray who gave him his seamanship certificate.

Clive said: 'The three-week course was delivered by the Western Training Association collaborating with JobCentre Plus, and Looe Harbour Commissioners, led by harbourmaster Jeff Penhaligon.

'I had been involved in the sea safety and survival aspects, and had talked to all the students together with some of the lifeboat crew.

'I am absolutely delighted that what Ed learned came into action to save his life. He had obviously listened. The fishing community at Looe have been 100 per cent behind this course and everyone is so pleased that Ed was able to save himself.'