Elysha Piller is back on dry land, safe and sound, with an incredible story to tell.
The Kenilworth native was halfway through her high school year aboard the S.V. Concordia, operated by the West Island College Class Afloat program, when the sailing ship went down off the coast of Brazil.
Carrying 42 Canadians and a total complement of 63 people, the tall ship sank 500 kilometres from Rio de Janeiro. All those on board the vessel were rescued without injury. The Canadians consisted of a mix of Grade 11-12 and first-year university students, plus crew members en route to Uruguay.
Brazilian authorities led a search and rescue operation and assisted the ship and its passengers. Everyone on board was able to board life rafts and get picked up by three merchant ships in the area.
The Concordia was south of Rio and east of Sao Paulo on Feb. 17, sailing in moderate to rough seas with clear skies. Survivors reported the ship encountered strong winds before it went down. All survived the sinking and spent 30 to 40 hours in life rafts in heavy ocean swells before being rescued by passing ships.
They are now back in Canada.
“Although we were so worried, once we knew she was okay, we just said, ‘Yay!’ “ Shelley Pillar is quoted as saying about her daughter, Elysha, in The Toronto Star.
Elisha’s grandparents and stepbrothers made the trek to Pearson airport to pick her up. The Star reports that Shelley brought her daughter a pink blanket and freshly baked peanut butter cookies.
“I knew if there was any girl who could handle that, it would be her,” Elysha’s proud mother told The Star.  “She is smart, cool and adventurous. We’re just going to love her up and send her back.”

Now that the students are all safe, they have the rare distinctio of being shipwreck survivors.