Hiker's dog rescued by helicopter a week after getting lost in New Zealand

A hiker who was airlifted after a fall on New Zealand’s South Island was separated from her border collie. After strangers raised more than 11,000 NZ dollars, a helicopter search located the dog, Molly, and reunited her with her owner.

A hiker fell at a waterfall on New Zealand’s South Island and was airlifted on March 24, leaving her dog missing. The dog, a border collie named Molly, remained lost in the bush for about a week. The pilot Matt Newton and his helicopter company organized further searches with help from volunteers and public donations. A renewed aerial search located Molly and she was returned to her owner. Known details: - The woman was found injured near a rocky spot at a waterfall and was airlifted on March 24; her dog could not be located at that time. - More than 11,000 New Zealand dollars were raised to fund additional flying hours and search help, and a pilot from Precision Helicopters led a renewed search with volunteers. - The dog, Molly, was found about a week later near the original area, described as hungry but in surprisingly good condition, and was reunited with her owner at the helicopter base. Summary: The search and recovery effort was funded in part by public donations and carried out by a local helicopter operator with volunteers. Undetermined at this time.