Lost dog reunited with owner, rescued by helicopter every week in New Zealand bush – National
A border collie named Molly was rescued from a wild New Zealand forest one week after her owner fell down a 55-foot waterfall and was forced to get out without her, when the dog was nowhere to be found during the rescue.
An emergency rescue helicopter found Jessica Johnson with bruises and cuts after falling off a cliff at a waterfall in New Zealand’s South Island. He was airlifted out on March 24 and forced to leave without Molly.
Helicopter pilot Matt Newton, owner of Precision Helicopters New Zealand, took it upon himself to help find the lost dog.
“I contacted him at the hospital and said I would look into it,” Newton told the Associated Press. “I went to check on the dog many times but nothing.
That’s when Newton and his family launched a fundraiser to pay for extra flight hours and advanced search equipment to reunite Molly with her owner.
Strangers banded together and raised more than $11,000 for the search and Newton was able to fund three more hours in a helicopter using thermal imaging equipment.
Newton was joined by a veterinarian, volunteer detectives and a dog named Bingo to help continue the search for Molly.
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When Molly was found on Tuesday, she was found a few meters from where her owner fell.
“We hit the jackpot in about an hour,” he said. “As we were going up the river, we saw a dog in a hot area and then we saw it with our eyes.”
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 the Arahura River on the West Coast of New Zealand’s South Island, Tuesday, March 31, 2026.
Precision Helicopters Ltd via AP
The helicopter was able to get low enough for a volunteer to come down with rescue dog Bingo to help guide Molly to safety.
“He knew what we were up to, I think,” he said. “He was behaving well, he didn’t run away and he was happy to be rescued.
In this photo released by Precision Helicopters Ltd, Wayne Holmes holds his dog Bingo, left, after the rescue of Molly, right, from the Arahura River Falls on the West Coast of New Zealand’s South Island, Tuesday, March 31, 2026.
Precision Helicopters Ltd via AP
“Thank you to everyone who donated and 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,” wrote Precision Helicopters Ltd. on Facebook, sharing a video of Molly curled up in a collapsed church where her owner was sleeping.
The pilot said Molly was in “remarkably good condition” and reported back to the helipad, where other volunteers were waiting their turn to search for Molly.
“Instead we just had a big barbecue and we all wrestled with Molly,” he said.
In this photo released by Precision Helicopters Ltd, Molly looks out the door of a helicopter after being rescued from the Arahura River Falls on the West Coast of New Zealand’s South Island, Tuesday, March 31, 2026.
Precision Helicopters Ltd via AP
Hours after Molly’s rescue, Johnson – who is still recovering from her injuries – came to meet her dog in tears.
In this photo released by Precision Helicopters Ltd, Molly is reunited with her owner Jessica Johnston after being rescued from the Arahura River Falls on the West Coast of New Zealand’s South Island, Tuesday, March 31, 2026.
Precision Helicopters Ltd via AP
“He’s had a bloody week. But now that we’re both home I can add this trip to the list. It’s still a long way to go before our lives get better,” Johnson wrote in a Facebook post on Tuesday.
– Via files from the Associated Press
© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
