Seuk Kim, 49, was flying from Maryland to New York when his plane crashed Sunday evening near Albany according to officials.
VIRGINIA, USA — Animal rescue groups are mourning the loss of a Virginia pilot who died while transporting dogs to an animal shelter.
Seuk Kim was flying from Maryland to New York when the plane crashed Sunday evening in the Catskill Mountains near Albany. The 49-year-old from Springfield, Va. died alongside a dog. Two other dogs were injured but survived, according to the Green County Sheriff’s Office.
The flight was associated with a non-profit group that transports rescued animals with the help of volunteer pilots, according to the sheriff.
An online obituary reads, “From a young age, Seuk dreamed of taking to the skies, and he made that dream a reality by becoming a pilot. He found immense joy in flying and used his passion to help others, including his recent work with a nonprofit organization dedicated to rescuing and transporting dogs to safe homes.”
The animal rights group, Forever Changed Animal Rescue, credits Kim for his years of work, including transporting the infamous dog Connie to Virginia. Back in February, a pregnant Connie was found trapped inside a shipping container at Port Houston’s Bayport Container Terminal.
Cathy Gillespie describes Kim as, “A man of his word. Very unselfish.” She says he was one of the first pilots she met while volunteering at the Culpeper Regional Airport. For months now, Gillespie and her daughter have assisted in the handling of dogs during the transport process.
During one of the transport missions, Gillespie fell in love with a pair of blind and deaf blonde Cocker Spaniels.
“When I saw them, I just immediately fell in love. They melted my heart and I wanted them immediately,” she said.
After completing the process to adopt the dogs, Gillespie says he reached out Seuk after reading a post where he said he was happy to see the pups would be given a second chance to live.
“His next message to, which I still have, is that he would in fact go down to get these dogs because he said that it looks like every time we are at the airport I fall in love with them, but he could tell I had a huge heart and love for these two in particular.”
On Saturday, a day before his death, Kim delivered on his promise and delivered the puppies to Virginia.
A heartbroken Gillespie says she hugged her puppies harder after finding out the news of Kim’s death. She plans to continue his legacy by continuing her volunteer work but also thought about how she could remember the beloved pilot.
“The puppy is very happy. I never saw Seuk when he did not have a huge smile on his face, no matter what. So, immediately I was like, I know what the male dog’s name is going to be, so we have Maple and we have Seuk.
The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the fatal crash.
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