Dog rescued from New Zealand wilderness week after owner falls 180 feet down waterfall

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A hiker’s border collie became lost in the New Zealand wilderness when its owner tumbled about 200 feet down a waterfall.

So, this happened to me on Tuesday, March 24th. I was hiking with my border collie, Molly, on the South Island of New Zealand – it’s seriously beautiful there. I was near a waterfall when I slipped on some rocks and took a tumble. It was a bit scary, but thankfully Molly was okay!

According to reports, Johnston suffered serious bruising and cuts after falling 55 meters, or 180 feet. When rescue teams arrived, they couldn’t locate Molly at the scene, and had to leave without her.

After being injured, she was flown by helicopter to a hospital for treatment. Meanwhile, Matt Newton, who pilots helicopters and owns Precision Helicopters New Zealand, volunteered his aircraft to join the search for the lost puppy.

He explained to local news that he called her while she was in the hospital and promised to search for the dog. He looked repeatedly, but couldn’t find it.

Dog rescued after spending week in New Zealand wilderness

Even with these difficulties, Newton didn’t give up. He and his wife organized a fundraiser to get more equipment and flight time, and they successfully raised over 11,000 New Zealand dollars – about $6,300 US dollars.

Newton and the rescue team finally found Molly just a few feet from where Johnston fell on March 31st. It’s unknown whether Molly fell down the waterfall herself, or if she carefully made her way down to find her owner.

Newton had already looked for Molly in that area without success. However, using thermal imaging, he was finally able to find her and bring her back home to her grateful owner.

Newton remembered thinking that the animal seemed to understand what they were doing. She stayed calm and seemed happy to be helped.

Newton believed Molly stayed alive by hunting and eating wild animals, noting she was in remarkably good health considering she’d been in the wilderness for a week.

Recently, a heartwarming video of a man and his dog reuniting with an elderly woman and her puppy has gone viral. The pair had rescued them from a house fire back in March. This follows another popular animal story from late 2025, when a cat named Francine, who became famous after hanging out at a Lowe’s store, traveled over 85 miles in a delivery truck to be reunited with her home.

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2026-04-01 21:48