The full devastating losses from the Woden flood had not been realised despite the dramatic headlines on the front page on this day in 1971.
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Seven young people died in the flash flood that hit on January 26, but in the next day's paper it was only known that one person had died and four were missing.
Despite the patchy information available at that stage, stories of great courage were already being told, including of police and civilians who helped rescue people caught in the raging waters. One young man who was involved in saving life that day was Italian migrant Frank Cervo.
In The Canberra Times report he was described as having "lept clear of his car when he felt it 'going' with the floodwaters. He and several others, including police, formed a human chain and tried to save [Michael] Latimer".
A report in the Canberra News gave a more extensive report of the men's efforts, describing how he had wrapped a snapped rope around his waist to help pull two of the police to safety.
"He is a most courageous man. If it hadn't been for him, we'd be goners," one of the rescued officers, Sergeant John Whelan said.
Mr Cervo received a bravery award for his efforts. He died in 2010, but his brother, developer Renato Cervo, remains incredibly proud of him.
