A Virginia pilot who devoted his life to rescuing orphaned shelter dogs met a tragic end Sunday when his small plane crashed in the Catskill Mountains — killing him and one of his newly saved pups.
Seuk Kim, a 49-year-old father of three, had been flying three dogs from Maryland to Albany for a not-for-profit that frees dogs from overcrowded shelters and places them in homes.
But the visibility was bad near Windham at about 6 p.m. on Sunday, and Kim asked to change altitude to escape turbulence that struck just before his plane went down in the forest, Fox 5 DC reported.
He was only about 35 miles from his destination.
In a statement, the Federal Aviation Administration said it found the “wreckage of a single-engine Mooney M20 in Catskill State Park in New York” on Monday.
“Only the pilot was on board,” the agency said. “The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board will investigate.
Authorities found Kim dead on the scene, along with one of the dogs.
But there were two survivors: a beautiful Labrador-mix puppy named Whiskey, who suffered two broken legs; and an 18-month-old Yorkie terrier mix named Pluto, who had only minor injuries, according to Animal Shelter of Schoharie County, the group Kim worked with.
Photos showed the adorable pup Whiskey with a bright green cast on his left leg and a cone on his head as he recovered from the crash.
Kim, who lived in Springfield, Va., was remembered as a “bright light” in the lives of his loved ones, according to his obituary.
In a Facebook post, Kim’s wife, Anna, wrote that she was “heartbroken.”
“My husband Seuk Kim gained his angel wings doing what he loved,” she wrote.
“He is my life long partner, my soul mate, father of my children. I miss him and his bright personality,” she said.
“Please pray for him, please pray for us. We will miss him dearly and he will forever hold a special place in our hearts.”
His 16-year-old daughter, Leah Kim, told Fox that her father spent his final years “doing what he loved, which was saving animals.”
Many in the animal rescue community also mourned his unfortunate death.
“Over the years, Seuk helped to save the lives of hundreds of animals who would have otherwise been euthanized due to overcrowding at animal shelters,” Maggie Pryor, director of the Animal Shelter of Schoharie County, said in a statement.
Cathay West, who operates the Kuddles & Kisses K9 Rescue in Baltimore, said she last saw Kim in October when he flew a dog just days away from being euthanized from Tennessee to Maryland.
“He was bringing me a momma dog and five puppies,” West said. “He was so involved in trying to get the word out to volunteer, to other pilots. That this is a good thing to save these dogs so that they don’t die in shelters.”
Kim also used his plane to transport supplies to hurricane-ravaged portions of North Carolina, according to his Facebook page.
“Seuk was an angel on earth,” Fairy Tails Rescue said in a Monday post on Facebook. “This is a tremendous loss.”
“To Seuk, soar high and take care of all of the animals who cross the rainbow bridge,” the group continued. “I know your kind smile will be there to greet them.”
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