When Jessica Johnston fell into a 180-foot waterfall in New Zealand, she was lucky to survive. A week later, she was even luckier when a helicopter crew found her missing dog, Molly, alone and shivering in the wilderness.
Molly, a border collie, was hiking with Johnston through a mountainous area in a remote part of the Arafura Valley on the west coast of the South Island. Johnston posted photos on Facebook of his camping trips and adventures traversing snowy mountain peaks.
However, on March 24th, Johnston lost his footing on a waterfall and became separated from Molly. Rescuers arrived to take Ms. Johnston to the hospital, but her faithful companion was nowhere to be found.
News of the missing dog spread quickly in New Zealand, with thousands of dollars raised by Sunday through a crowdfunding campaign by the helicopter company that offered to search.
Precision Helicopters posted on its Facebook page: “We would like to sincerely thank the many people who have donated to help us further the search for Molly.” “The plan is to first conduct a search in clear skies on Tuesday, using advanced thermal imaging technology and a talented team of volunteers from (Christchurch).”
Enough money was raised for a three-hour flight. And in that window, miraculously, they discovered her, wet and cold, at the foot of a waterfall.
“Molly has been found!!” they posted on Facebook.
Video showed a drenched Molly in a pile of rocks as crew members picked her up and carried her to the helicopter.
Upon landing, Molly ran excitedly towards her owner. Johnston, hampered by a cast on his right arm, became visibly emotional and slowly lowered himself to the ground to cradle his canines.
“She’s had a bloody tough week, but now that we’re both home, we can add this adventure to the list,” Johnston wrote on her Facebook page on Tuesday, adding: “It was an amazing trip before our lives were turned upside down.”
Pilot Matt Newton said the mission to rescue Molly had been difficult and his crew had tried to find the dog from the air earlier.
“We visited the area three times looking for her without success,” he said.
The team then realized they needed better equipment and turned to infrared cameras.
“Once we got the right people on board with that rig and the perfect day for it, we hit the jackpot,” he recalls.
Mr Newton believed Molly survived by eating small animals, perhaps possums, a marsupial considered a pest in New Zealand.
He said Molly was already playing fetch with the crew as soon as she arrived at the helicopter base.
“She was pretty active and a little calm, but I think it looked like she knew she was going to be rescued,” he said.
Molly came home and prayed for Johnston’s soul.
“I think her recovery will be much better with the dog by her side,” he said.
