WINDHAM, N.Y. — A pilot and a rescue canine he was transporting to an animal shelter had been killed when a small aircraft crashed within the snowy woods of the Catskill Mountains, although two different canine had been later discovered to have survived, authorities mentioned.
Seuk Kim, 49, was flying from Maryland to Albany, New York, when the aircraft crashed Sunday night in a distant space of Windham, about 35 miles (55 kilometers) southwest of Albany, officers mentioned.
A preliminary investigation signifies the pilot died from the impression, Greene County Sheriff Peter Kusminsky mentioned. The flight was carrying three canine and was related to a not-for-profit group that transports rescue animals with assist from volunteer pilots, the sheriff mentioned.
Two canine survived the crash: A Labrador-mix pet that suffered damaged bones, and one other canine that had solely minor accidents.
“It was pretty scared and it was dug down into the snow,” Kusminsky mentioned of the pet with damaged bones.
That canine, named Whiskey, was taken to a veterinary hospital in Middletown, Connecticut, in response to the nonprofit Kim was delivering the canine to, the Animal Shelter of Schoharie Valley. The opposite canine discovered protected was an 18-month-old yorkie terrier combine named Pluto.
Tributes to Kim, who was from Springfield, Virginia, poured into a web-based memorial Monday, with fellow canine rescuers thanking him for flying flights and coordinating pilots throughout the nation.
“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 Valley, mentioned in an announcement.
Cathy West, who operates the Kuddles & Kisses K9 Rescue in Baltimore, Maryland, mentioned she final noticed Kim in October at a close-by airport as he handed over to her a canine that had solely days earlier than been on a listing to be euthanized at an overcrowded shelter in Tennessee.
“He was bringing me a momma dog and five puppies,” West mentioned. “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.”
An announcement from Kim’s household mentioned he was initially from South Korea and “came to this country with little but a dream, and through hard work and perseverance, he built a life of meaning and generosity.”
“He was a kind, selfless individual who always went out of his way to help others, no matter the circumstances,” the assertion mentioned. “His legacy will live on in the countless lives he touched, both human and animal,” it added.
The Federal Aviation Administration and the Nationwide Transportation Security Board had been investigating the crash.
Visibility was poor on Sunday and Kim sought permission to vary his altitude on account of turbulence earlier than the crash, Kusminsky mentioned.
The aircraft crashed in woods a few miles from the closest street. Rescuers positioned the wreckage earlier than midnight in woods lined by a couple of foot of snow, in response to the sheriff.