Tragic Accident Claims Lives of Three Teachers in Paraguay River

Three educators from the Escuela N° 171 “Ejército Argentino” in the province of Formosa drowned in the Paraguay River. They were Rodolfo Ferraut, the school director, and teachers Edith Cantero and Graciela Ramos. Their boat capsized due to strong winds while they were returning from classes.

Reports indicate that the educators traveled towards Puerto Pilcomayo on Thursday, despite a weather alert being issued. The school reported their disappearance, prompting a swift search by the Prefectura Naval Argentina. The fast rescue boats searched the river route until they confirmed the unfortunate outcome. Cantero and Ramos were the first victims found along the shore, identified quickly by their families.

Efforts to locate Ferraut took longer. After extensive searching, divers discovered his body in the river at kilometer 356. As the boat’s operator during the incident, his remains were returned to his family later that day.

The investigation is now under the jurisdiction of Juzgado Federal N°2, led by Judge María Belén López Mace, in conjunction with the local police, who assisted in the recovery of the bodies. Reports from local media state that the educators had returned in two boats. The first boat left Isla Apando before the storm hit and arrived without incident. However, Ferraut and the two teachers encountered severe winds that led to their tragedy.

Additionally, the Argentine Army announced the recovery of Sebastián Romero’s body, a soldier who fell from a boat during a military exercise in the Paraná River. His body was found about 1500 meters downstream. At the time of the accident, Romero was not wearing a life jacket, raising questions about safety measures. His backpack and beret were previously found and confirmed to belong to him.

The accident site was located at La Balsa dock in Santa Fe during operational activities. The other soldiers who fell into the water were rescued and treated at the local military hospital. The operations involved various forces, with the Prefectura leading the search and coordinating with the Army and Navy. All involved personnel have provided statements regarding the incident.