Photo: Alberto Menendez Cervero / Moment / Getty Images
A border collie named Molly was rescued from remote New Zealand wilderness this week after strangers donated thousands of dollars to fund a helicopter search — reuniting the dog with her injured owner nearly two weeks after a terrifying waterfall accident.
The ordeal began on Monday (March 17), when Jessica Johnston fell down a 55-meter (180-foot) waterfall while hiking in a remote area near the Campbell Bivouac on the scrubline of the Campbell Range in the Arahura Valley on New Zealand's South Island. Johnston was seriously injured, suffering bruises and lacerations, and was airlifted to safety by an emergency rescue helicopter on Monday (March 24). Rescuers were forced to leave without Molly, who could not be found at the time.
Helicopter pilot Matt Newton, owner-operator of Precision Helicopters New Zealand, took it upon himself to find the dog. "I contacted her in hospital and said I'd go for a look for it," Newton said, according to 1News. "I went and looked for the dog several times and no avail."
Unwilling to quit, Newton and his family launched a public fundraiser to cover the cost of more flying hours and advanced search equipment. The response was overwhelming. Strangers pledged more than roughly $6,300, enough to fund three additional hours of aerial searching using thermal imaging equipment.
On Tuesday (March 25), Newton took to the skies with a veterinary nurse, volunteer searchers, and a rescue dog named Bingo.The team struck gold within about an hour. "As we made our way up the river, we could see the dog in the thermal and then we could visually see it," Newton said.
Molly was found at the base of the same waterfall where Johnston had fallen — bedraggled and hungry, but alive. It remains unclear whether Molly also tumbled down the waterfall or made her way there on her own. Newton noted that Johnston had been holding the dog when she fell, but was too disoriented after the accident to remember exactly what happened.
The helicopter dropped low so a volunteer could disembark with rescue dog Bingo to help coax Molly to safety. "She knew what we were up to, I think," Newton said. "She behaved real well. She didn't run away and she was pleased to be rescued."
After Molly was secured, Newton and the team returned to the helicopter base, where other volunteers had gathered. Instead of continuing the search, they celebrated. "We just had a big barbecue and all had a cuddle with Molly," Newton said.
Hours after the rescue, Johnston — still recovering from her injuries and only recently discharged from hospital — arrived for a tearful reunion with her dog. Newton had sent her a satellite message the moment Molly was found.
"I think that'll speed up her healing process somewhat," Newton said. "Having your dog back, that's for sure."
In a Facebook post, Johnston expressed her gratitude to everyone who helped. "I'm absolutely blown away with the support everyone has given her so far from the kindest of strangers," she wrote. "Thank you for helping bring my Molly back home."