Tragedy on the River: The Shipwreck of Myriam Adela and the Heroism of Don Eligio
46 years ago, on February 10, 1978, Paraguay's biggest maritime tragedy occurred: the wreck of the ship Myriam Adela. The ship departed from the Port of Asunción on February 9 bound for Vallemí, making stops in Concepción and other small piers.
It carried passengers and packages. At 19:00 hours on February 10, a sudden whirlwind capsized the boat about 85 km upstream from Concepción.
The final number of victims was 113 people, a figure that could have been higher if not for the heroic intervention of Eligio González.
With his small canoe, Don Eligio rescued 25 people, including the ship's captain, Juan Bautista Coronel, who reported that they tried to deflect the whirlwind without success due to strong winds. Another 22 managed to save themselves by their own means, leaving a total of 47 survivors.
The causes of the tragedy were never clarified, although it was determined that the ship was sailing with a capacity greater than that allowed. ![]()
Don Eligio González is still alive and receives a pension from the government for his heroic gesture, being considered a civil hero with justice.
The memory of Myriam Adela, who still travels through Paraguayan waters but only as a cargo carrier, remains a stigma of one of the greatest tragedies in Paraguayan civil life.
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Su acción heroica al rescatar a 25 personas, incluyendo al capitán del barco, en medio de una tormenta devastadora demuestra un coraje y determinación admirables. La tragedia también subraya la importancia de mantener las normativas de seguridad para prevenir tales desastres en el futuro.
Es alentador que Don Eligio reciba una pensión por su valentía, y que la memoria del Myriam Adela continúe viva en la conciencia de la gente. La historia de cómo una tragedia puede sacar a la luz actos de heroísmo y humanidad es siempre un poderoso recordatorio de la resiliencia y el espíritu de las personas.