A border collie named Molly was rescued from the wild New 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 at the time of rescue.
An emergency rescue helicopter found Jessica Johnson with bruises and lacerations after a fall at a remote rocky spot at the waterfall on New Zealand’s South Island. She was airlifted on March 24 and forced to leave without Molly.
Helicopter pilot Matt Newton, the owner-operator of Precision Helicopters New Zealand, took it upon himself to help find the missing dog.
“I contacted her in hospital and said I’d go for a look for it,” Newton told The Associated Press. “I went and looked 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 in order to reunite Molly with her owner.
Strangers came together and raised over $11,000 for a search and Newton was able to 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 help continue their search for Molly.
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When Molly was found on Tuesday, she was located just a few metres from the spot where her owner had fallen.
“We struck jackpot within about an hour,” he said. “As we made our way up the river, we could see the dog in the thermal and then we could visually see it.”
In this photo released by Precision Helicopters Ltd, Wayne Holmes collects Molly from the edge of a waterfall as his dog Bingo, bottom left, stands beside on the Arahura River on the West Coast of the South Island of New Zealand, Tuesday, March 31, 2026.
Precision Helicopters Ltd via AP
The helicopter was able to drop low enough for a volunteer to disembark with the rescue dog Bingo to help guide Molly to safety.
“She knew what we were up to, I think,” he said. “She behaved real well. She didn’t run away and she was pleased to be rescued.”
In 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 New Zealand, Tuesday, March 31, 2026.
Precision Helicopters Ltd via AP
“Thank you to everybody who donated & volunteered to help, the success of saving Molly would not have been possible without this joint effort. What a happy ending to reunite her with Jess after her accident. 1 week lost in the wild, Molly will be happy to be home,” Precision Helicopters Ltd. wrote on Facebook, sharing a video of Molly curled up on a pile of rocks in the area where her owner had fallen a 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 search for Molly.
“Instead we just had a big barbecue and all had a cuddle with Molly,” he said.
In 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 New Zealand, Tuesday, March 31, 2026.
Precision Helicopters Ltd via AP
Hours after Molly’s rescue, Johnson — who is still recovering from her injuries — arrived for a tearful reunion with her dog.
In this photo released by Precision Helicopters Ltd, Molly is reunited with her owner Jessica Johnston after her rescue from a waterfall on the Arahura River on the West Coast of the South Island of New Zealand, Tuesday, March 31, 2026.
Precision Helicopters Ltd via AP
“She’s been a bloody rough week. But with both of us back home I can add this adventure to the list. Still a great 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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