An emergency rescue helicopter airlifted Jessica Johnston out of the area March 24, but they were forced to leave without her border collie Molly.
NEW ZEALAND, — A week after a hiker fell from a 180-foot tall waterfall in New Zealand, she and her dog Molly were reunited thanks to a community coming together.
An emergency rescue helicopter airlifted Jessica Johnston out of the area March 24, but they were forced to leave without her border collie Molly.
Over a week, strangers raised thousands of dollars for a search and a helicopter pilot was determined to reunite pet and owner.
“I contacted her in hospital and said I’d go for a look for (Molly),” said Matt Newton, the owner-operator of Precision Helicopters New Zealand, which is based at Hokitika Gorge near the Arahura River where Molly went missing. “I went and looked for the dog several times and no avail.”
He and his family launched a fundraiser to pay for more flying hours and advanced search gear. Offers of help and donations poured in, with strangers pledging more than $6,300 for a search, according to the Associated Press.
The fundraising led to Newton using thermal imaging equipment and a handful more flight hours. He and his dog Bingo, a veterinary nurse and volunteer searchers continued looking for Molly on Tuesday.
“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.”
Molly was bedraggled and hungry when she was found Tuesday, just a few meters from the spot where the hiker had been lucky to survive.
The helicopter dropped low enough for a volunteer to climb out with the rescue dog Bingo to help coax Molly to safety and keep her calm.
“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.”
Molly was in “surprisingly good condition,” the pilot said. He sent word back to the helicopter base, where other volunteers waited to take turns in the search. “Instead we just had a big barbecue and all had a cuddle with Molly.”
Hours after the dog’s rescue, her owner, still hurt from the fall, arrived for a tearful reunion.
“I think that’ll speed up her healing process somewhat,” Newton said. “Having your dog back, that’s for sure.”
The Associated Press contributed to his report.