The night the river rose in Durban: The Padavatan Six rescue
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Rain had been falling for days when the Umgeni River burst through Tin Town, a Durban settlement home to hundreds of former indentured labourers.
Families were trapped as floodwaters tore through the community. Then a group of civilian volunteers stepped into the raging river to help save those caught in the disaster.
This historical rescue is told through the work of local author and filmmaker Viroshen Chetty, who co-authored 'Legends of the Tide' with the late Dr Neelan Govender.
This episode traces the story of the expert seine-netters whose skills, courage and deep connection to Durban’s fishing culture helped shape one of the city’s most remarkable rescue stories.
This episode honours the Padavatan Six and the civilian volunteers who risked their lives to save others during the 1917 Durban floods.
Families were trapped as floodwaters tore through the community. Then a group of civilian volunteers stepped into the raging river to help save those caught in the disaster.
This historical rescue is told through the work of local author and filmmaker Viroshen Chetty, who co-authored 'Legends of the Tide' with the late Dr Neelan Govender.
This episode traces the story of the expert seine-netters whose skills, courage and deep connection to Durban’s fishing culture helped shape one of the city’s most remarkable rescue stories.
This episode honours the Padavatan Six and the civilian volunteers who risked their lives to save others during the 1917 Durban floods.
Chapters
- 00:00 Introduction
- 01:04 The 1917 flood that swallowed Tin Town overnight
- 03:08 How six fishermen heard the call for help
- 10:35 Into the water: the rescue mission launches
- 12:50 Pulling people from rooftops, one boatload at a time
- 16:29 Who were these men? The story of Durban's Indian laborers
- 24:53 After the flood: loss, rebuilding, and community
- 26:29 A public ceremony and the medals they were given
- 30:09 More than a century later: how their memory lives on
