Trapped by lava: Drone company will try to rescue stranded dogs on La Palma

Plan is to fly drones in with food for the animals, Once the dogs are used to the machines, drones will rescue them.

October 19, 2021

A drone company said Tuesday that it had received permission from the Spanish government to conduct a rescue mission to save several dogs trapped on La Palma in the Canary Islands as volcanic eruptions continue, the Washington Post reports.

Video shot nearly a week ago showed the stranded dogs looking desperate, weak and skinny in ash-covered yards in the southwest area of Todoque.

The company, Aerocámaras, said Thursday that it hoped to evacuate the animals by drone. The plan, according to a statement released by the company, was to fly drones in with food for the animals, as well as another camera to inspect the logistics of the area. Once the dogs got used to the machines, it would carry out the rescue mission.

“Technically it is the most complicated thing we have done,” Jaime Pereira, chief executive of Aerocámaras and head of the mission, told the broadcaster Telecinco.