Lost Dog Rescued by Helicopter in New Zealand Wilderness

In the remote Arahura Valley on New Zealand's South Island West Coast, a border collie named Molly was rescued by helicopter on March 31 after spending a week lost in rugged wilderness following her owner Jessica Johnston's harrowing fall from a 55-meter waterfall.

Johnston, in her twenties, had been backpacking through the challenging terrain near Hokitika with Molly on March 24 when she slipped at a rocky spot atop the waterfall. She suffered bruises and lacerations but survived the plunge, landing in shallow water below. Activating her personal locator beacon, Johnston was airlifted to a hospital in Greymouth by a government-funded rescue team. In the chaos, Molly vanished, leaving rescuers unable to locate the four-year-old dog amid the thick bush, heavy rainfall, and steep alpine country.

Initial searches by helicopter proved fruitless over the following days. Matt Newton, owner and pilot of Precision Helicopters New Zealand, based near Hokitika Gorge, learned of the incident while Johnston recovered in the hospital. "I contacted her in hospital and said I'd go for a look for it," Newton recounted. He flew multiple missions along the Arahura River but found no trace of Molly.