A border collie named Molly was rescued from the wild Recent Zealand bush one week after her owner fell from a 55-metre waterfall and was forced to evacuate without her, when the dog couldn’t be found on the time of rescue.
An emergency rescue helicopter found Jessica Johnson with bruises and lacerations after a fall at a distant rocky spot on the waterfall on Recent Zealand’s South Island. She was airlifted on March 24 and compelled to depart without Molly.
Helicopter pilot Matt Newton, the owner-operator of Precision Helicopters Recent Zealand, took it upon himself to assist find the missing dog.
“I contacted her in hospital and said I’d go for a search for it,” Newton told The Associated Press. “I went and searched for the dog several times and no avail.”
That’s when Newton and his family launched a fundraiser to pay for more flying hours and advanced search gear with a purpose to reunite Molly along with her owner.
Strangers got here together and raised over $11,000 for a search and Newton was capable of fund three more hours in a helicopter using thermal imaging equipment.
Newton was joined by a veterinary nurse, volunteer searchers and a dog named Bingo to assist proceed their seek for Molly.
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When Molly was found on Tuesday, she was positioned just a number of metres from the spot where her owner had fallen.
“We struck jackpot inside about an hour,” he said. “As we made our way up the river, we could see the dog within the thermal after which we could visually see it.”
On this photo released by Precision Helicopters Ltd, Wayne Holmes collects Molly from the sting of a waterfall as his dog Bingo, bottom left, stands beside on the Arahura River on the West Coast of the South Island of Recent Zealand, Tuesday, March 31, 2026.
Precision Helicopters Ltd via AP
The helicopter was capable of drop low enough for a volunteer to disembark with the rescue dog Bingo to assist guide Molly to safety.
“She knew what we were as much as, I believe,” he said. “She behaved real well. She didn’t run away and he or she was pleased to be rescued.”
On this photo released by Precision Helicopters Ltd, Wayne Holmes holds his dog Bingo, left, after the rescue of Molly, right, at a waterfall on the Arahura River on the West Coast of the South Island of Recent Zealand, Tuesday, March 31, 2026.
Precision Helicopters Ltd via AP
“Thanks to everybody who donated & volunteered to assist, the success of saving Molly wouldn’t have been possible without this joint effort. What a pleased ending to reunite her with Jess after her accident. 1 week lost within the wild, Molly will probably be pleased to be home,” Precision Helicopters Ltd. wrote on Facebook, sharing a video of Molly curled up on a pile of rocks in the realm where her owner had fallen per week prior.
The pilot said Molly was in “surprisingly good condition” and reported back to the helicopter base, where other volunteers were waiting their turn to look for Molly.
“As a substitute we just had a giant barbecue and all had a cuddle with Molly,” he said.
On this photo released by Precision Helicopters Ltd, Molly peers out of the door of a helicopter after her rescue from a waterfall on the Arahura River on the West Coast of the South Island of Recent Zealand, Tuesday, March 31, 2026.
Precision Helicopters Ltd via AP
Hours after Molly’s rescue, Johnson — who remains to be recovering from her injuries — arrived for a tearful reunion along with her dog.
On this photo released by Precision Helicopters Ltd, Molly is reunited along with her owner Jessica Johnston after her rescue from a waterfall on the Arahura River on the West Coast of the South Island of Recent Zealand, Tuesday, March 31, 2026.
Precision Helicopters Ltd via AP
“She’s been a bloody rough week. But with each of us back home I can add this adventure to the list. Still an excellent trip before our lives got turned upside,” Johnson wrote in a Facebook post on Tuesday.
— With files from The Associated Press
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