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Crowdfunded Helicopter Team Reunites Hiker With Missing Dog in New Zealand

Donations plus a small operator showed how private flights reach pets in terrain beyond standard crews.

Overview

  • Molly, a border collie missing after her owner’s 180-foot fall, was found in the Arahura Valley during a Precision Helicopters search on March 30.
  • The mission, financed by more than $6,000 in public gifts, added flight hours and gear to extend the hunt.
  • Crews used a thermal camera, volunteer searchers, a veterinary nurse, and a calm dog named Bingo to approach Molly on slick rocks near the waterfall.
  • Video from the three-hour flight shows rescuers lifting the cold dog aboard and later handing her back to Jessica Johnston after about a week apart.
  • Johnston had been treated for bruises and cuts after the March 24 fall, while Molly appeared alert after rescue and soon played fetch, according to the pilot.