A mysterious ‘A Team’ just rescued dogs from a volcano’s lava zone in La Palma

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Drone operators were hoping to find dogs who needed to be rescued from a lava zone in La Palma. Instead, they found a spray-painted banner reading «The dogs are fine» and signed, «A Team.» This still image is from a video sent by the anonymous rescuers.

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A drone company is working to airlift dogs stranded by the volcano in La Palma

Drones have dropped food and water for the animals, as officials considered ways to rescue them. It was deemed to risky to attempt by foot; helicopters were ruled out due to ash and pyroclastic rocks in the air.

Animal advocacy group Leales then asked the drone company Aerocamaras to use large cargo drones to fetch the dogs, trapping them in nets and flying them to safety. That plan moved ahead this week, as special flight permits were approved.

But then the animal rescue story turned into a dog-gone mystery.

«This morning we have made reconnaissance flights of the area where the dogs were, but at the moment we have not obtained any trace,» drone company Aerocamaras said on Wednesday via Twitter.

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Leales said on Thursday that «anonymous animalists» seem to have entered the area and rescued the dogs, citing a video it had received by email, as well as footprints that were detected by Aerocamaras’ drones.

The animal group posted the video to YouTube, showing a banner on a wall where one of the dogs was located. The footage opens with the famous opening lines of the 1980s TV show The A Team, describing (in Spanish, in this case) a band of commandoes who became soldiers of fortune after being accused of a crime they didn’t commit.

Footage in the anonymous video was shot by a drone. Leales said it suspects that the unknown rescuers might have used a drone’s thermal imaging to determine a relatively «cold» path through the lava field.

Leales said the video arrived via a brief email that was also signed by the A Team. The message thanked the group for its work and concluded with the hashtag many locals in La Palma have embraced: #masfuertesqueelvolcan — stronger than the volcano.

Aerocamaras said that its drone flights Wednesday had shown the banner where one of the dogs had been — but because the wind had seemingly flipped the large sheet over, the message wasn’t visible at first sight.

While it seems that the dogs have been carried to safety, Leales said it would like to know who the rescuers are, and for them to share proof that the dogs — some of whom had been emaciated by their ordeal — are in good condition.