A woman and her Border Collie, Molly, plunged nearly 180 feet down a waterfall while hiking in New Zealand last week. The woman was badly hurt and had to be airlifted out by helicopter — but Molly was nowhere to be found.
For days, it looked like the worst had happened.
As news of the incident spread, people from around the world rallied to help. Donations poured in, with more than $11,500 raised to fund a search for the missing dog.
Then came the miracle.
Just one hour into the official helicopter search, rescuers spotted Molly alive in the dense Hokitika bushland — right near the same waterfall where she had fallen.
Footage from the rescue shows the moment Molly was found tucked near a pile of rocks. Despite everything she had been through, she stayed calm as rescuers approached and gently lifted her into the helicopter.
WATCH THE VIDEO BELOW:
Even sweeter, a small dog named Bingo helped locate her — greeting Molly with a nose sniff and what rescuers described as a little “kiss” once she was found.
The rescue itself was a race against time. The crowdfunding money only covered about three hours of helicopter flight time, leaving a very small window to find Molly in a vast, rugged area.
At first, flying over the terrain wasn’t enough. Rescuers then switched to thermal imaging — and almost immediately, Molly appeared on the screen.
Against all odds, she had survived alone in the wilderness for an entire week.
When the helicopter finally landed and Molly saw her owner again, the reunion said it all. She ran straight toward her, tail wagging, clearly overjoyed to be back where she belonged.
Back at the base, Molly even had enough energy to play a quick game of fetch with the rescue crew — a sign that this tough pup had truly beaten the odds.