With help from strangers, though, they raised thousands of dollars; the money paid for a helicopter search that eventually found the border collie and reunited her with her owner.
Rescuers came across the injured woman last week near the Arahura River on the South Island’s West Coast. She had multiple cuts and bruises after slipping from a rocky spot by the falls.
She was airlifted to hospital on March 24, but had to leave her dog behind.
Matt Newton, who runs Precision Helicopters, told the owner they’d head back out to look for the dog. Unfortunately, that first search didn’t find anything.
Not wanting to give up, Newton started a fundraiser to cover extra flight time and better search equipment. With support from strangers, they ended up raising over 11,000 New Zealand dollars for another go.
The funds covered about three additional hours in the air, along with the use of advanced thermal imaging gear.
On Tuesday, Newton headed back out in his helicopter; he was joined by volunteer searchers, a veterinary nurse, and a dog named Bingo as they looked for Molly.
It didn’t take long before they got a breakthrough. While flying along the river, a heat signature showed up on the thermal camera.
Soon after, they confirmed it was the missing border collie.
There had been no trace of the dog during Newton’s earlier search in the same area. It’s still uncertain whether she fell from the waterfall too or later made her way to the spot where her owner had landed.
The helicopter was brought in low enough for a volunteer to reach her; they were able to gently coax Molly to safety and keep her settled.
Newton thinks she likely stayed alive by catching small animals during her week alone in the New Zealand bush.
He also noted that, despite everything, she was in surprisingly good shape.
He immediately sent word back to the helicopter base, where other volunteers were on stand by.
Later on, they marked the moment with a big barbecue; everyone took turns giving Molly plenty of cuddles.
A few hours after being found, Molly was brought back to her owner, who was still pretty banged up from the fall.
