WATCH: New Zealand Pilot Reunites Injured Hiker with Beloved Dog Lost in Waterfall Accident

A faithful dog has been rescued after a harrowing experience thanks to the never-give-up spirit of a helicopter pilot and volunteers in New Zealand.

Hiker Jessica Johnston was hiking with her border collie, Molly, in a remote area of the Arahura Valley when she lost her footing and fell down a 180-foot waterfall on March 24 and was separated from her beloved pet, CNN reported Wednesday.

When rescuers located Johnston, they could not find Molly. They transported her owner to a hospital for treatment due to the bruises and lacerations she suffered in the fall, according to NBC News.

However, word got around that Molly was still missing, and when Precision Helicopters heard about the situation the company decided it wanted to help.

Precision Helicopters owner-operator Matt Newton said he contacted Johnston and told her he would search for Molly. Although he looked several times, he could not find her.

However, Newton started a fundraising campaign to pay for additional flying hours and advanced search gear, and strangers gave over $6,000 to fund the effort to bring Molly home. When he set out to look once more, Newton was accompanied by a veterinary nurse, volunteer searchers, and another dog named Bingo.

This time, it only took them about one hour to find her, Newton recalled, adding they spotted her in a thermal imaging camera.

Video footage shows the dramatic moments the helicopter neared Molly’s location as she crouched on a wet rock near the waterfall, clearly relieved help had finally arrived after nearly a week.

One of the rescuers along with Bingo approached Molly, picked her up, and carried both dogs back to the helicopter.

When Molly was reunited with her owner, a grateful Johnston could not hold back her tears:

 “She’s been (through) a bloody rough week. But with both of us back home I can add this adventure to the list. Still a great trip before our lives got turned upside (down),” Johnston stated.

Newton said he believes Molly survived by eating small animals in the wilderness, but she was playing fetch not long after her rescue.

When speaking of Johnston, he said, “I think she’ll heal a lot better having the dog by her side.”

According to the American Kennel Club (AKC), border collies are energetic, affectionate, smart dogs who thrive on herding work in the fields.