Dog survives 55m fall
A hiking dog named Molly survived a 55‑meter waterfall fall and was found a week later waiting at the bottom while her injured owner was helicoptered to safety — a viral story that highlights both animal resilience and the risks of remote hikes. The dog’s survival and loyalty grabbed attention because searchers and rescuers often have to coordinate air support in those remote terrains. It’s a reminder to carry emergency plans and know helicopter/evacuation procedures when hiking in rugged areas. (x.com)
The hiker has been identified as Jessica Johnston; she was located and airlifted from remote scrubland in the Arahura Valley on March 24 and has since been discharged from hospital. (rnz.co.nz) (abcnews.go.com) A privately run pilot, Matt Newton of Precision Helicopters, launched a public fundraiser that collected more than NZ$11,000 to pay for extra search flights with specialized equipment, and his team located Molly about a week after Johnston’s rescue during a renewed search on March 31. (abcnews.go.com) (outsideonline.com) The flight crew used a thermal-imaging camera — a device that detects infrared heat and displays warmer objects as bright shapes on a screen — to spot a heat signature that turned out to be Molly, and a volunteer lowered a companion dog and a handler to help coax her aboard. (flir.com) (abcnews.go.com) Johnston activated a personal locator beacon — a small satellite distress transmitter that sends coordinates to search-and-rescue services — which brought the emergency helicopter to her location the week before, and the privately funded flights paid for roughly three additional hours of helicopter time (helicopter work in that area is expensive, about NZ$50 per minute). (rei.com) (outsideonline.com) Rescuers say Molly was found a few metres from the spot where Johnston had landed, but it remains unclear whether the dog fell with her or reached that location later; Molly was described as bedraggled and hungry but in surprisingly good condition when she was recovered and then reunited with Johnston. (rnz.co.nz) (abcnews.go.com)
