A pilot who flew countless missions to rescue animals across the country died in a plane crash in the Catskill Mountains in Southeastern New York.
Seuk Kim is being remembered as a man with a big heart who found joy in the animals he saved.
“His legacy is for people to live their lives with joy,” said his daughter Leah Kim to ABC News.
“Over the summer, I actually flew a rescue mission with him. As much attention as he was paying to flying, he was looking back every couple minutes at the dogs, and he was smiling. And I don’t think I’ve ever seen him smile that much.”
Kim would fly anywhere he was needed. He is known by animal rescue groups across the country.
Among the many shelters he worked with was the Fayette County Animal Shelter in Georgia.
“It’s a huge loss. It’s a huge loss for our community,” animal rescuer Cynthia Saracino told FOX 5.
CBS6 reports he died flying three dogs to upstate New York. Two of those dogs survived the crash.
Maggie Jackman Pryor is executive director of the Animal Shelter of Schoharie County of New York.
“As the pilots unload the dogs, they sit on the wing and get them out and he would give each one a hug and kiss and say, ‘good luck’ and find a great home,” Jackman Pyror added. “That always touched me that every animal he gave a farewell to and wished them a good life.”
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