A pilot and a rescue dog he was transporting to an animal shelter were killed when a small plane crashed in the snowy forests of the Catskill Mountains, although two other dogs were later found to have survived, authorities said.
Seuk Kim, 49, was flying from Maryland to Albany, New York, when the plane crashed Sunday evening in a remote area of Windham, about 35 miles (56 kilometers) southwest of Albany, officials said.
Preliminary investigations indicate the pilot was killed by the impact, Greene County Sheriff Peter Kusminsky said. The flight had three dogs on board and was associated with a nonprofit organization that transports rescue animals with the help of volunteer pilots, the sheriff said.
Two dogs survived the crash: a Labrador mix puppy who suffered broken bones, and another dog who had only minor injuries.
“He was quite scared and dug into the snow,” Kusminsky said of the puppy with broken bones.
That dog, named Whiskey, was taken to an animal hospital in Middleton, Connecticut, according to the nonprofit where Kim delivered the dogs, the Animal Shelter of Schoharie County. The other dog found safe was an 18-month-old yorkie terrier mix named Pluto.
The sheriff’s office posted photos of the surviving dogs on social media.
Tributes to Kim, who was from Springfield, Virginia, poured into an online memorial service Monday, with fellow dog rescuers thanking him for flying flights and coordinating pilots across the country.
“Over the years, Seuk has helped save the lives of hundreds of animals that would otherwise have been euthanized due to overcrowding in animal shelters,” Maggie Pryor, director of the Schoharie County Animal Shelter, said in a statement.
Animal shelter ‘Forever Changed Animal Rescue’ said on social media that Kim was part of its ‘Pilots N Paws’ program.
“The sky will never be the same without you. We are so grateful to have met you and for all the countless hours you have flown to help animals live new lives, including our most memorable life; Connie the Container Dog. ” the group said in the social media post.
Connie was found trapped in a shipping container at the Bayport Container Terminal in Port Houston earlier this year, CBS affiliate WUSA-TV reported. Kim flew to Houston to take Connie to Virginia, where she had puppies.
Cathay West, who runs the Kuddles & Kisses K9 Rescue in Baltimore, Maryland, said she last saw Kim at a nearby airport in October when he handed her a dog that had been listed for rescue just days earlier. euthanized in an overcrowded accommodation. shelter in Tennessee.
“He brought me a mother dog and five puppies,” West said. “He was so involved in spreading the message to other pilots to volunteer. That saving these dogs so they don’t die in shelters is a good thing.”
A statement from Kim’s family said he was originally from South Korea and “came to this country with little more than a dream, and through hard work and perseverance built a life of meaning and generosity.”
“He was a kind, selfless person who always went out of his way to help others, no matter the circumstances,” the statement said. “His legacy will live on through the countless lives he touched, both human and animal,” it added.
The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board investigated the crash.
Visibility was poor Sunday and Kim requested permission to change his altitude because of turbulence before the crash, Kusminsky said.
The plane crashed in the forest, a few kilometers from the nearest road. According to the sheriff’s office, rescuers located the wreckage before midnight in a forest covered in about a foot of snow.
