WINDHAM, N.Y. — A pilot and a rescue dog he was transporting to an animal shelter were killed when a small plane crashed in the snowy woods of the Catskill Mountains, though 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 (55 kilometers) southwest of Albany, officials said.
A preliminary investigation indicates the pilot died from the impact, Greene County Sheriff Peter Kusminsky said. The flight was carrying three dogs and was associated with a not-for-profit group that transports rescue animals with help from volunteer pilots, the sheriff said.
Two dogs survived the crash: A Labrador-mix puppy that suffered broken bones, and another dog that had only minor injuries.
''It was pretty scared and it was dug down into the snow,'' Kusminsky said of the puppy with broken bones.
That dog, named Whiskey, was taken to a veterinary hospital in Middletown, Connecticut, according to the nonprofit Kim was delivering the dogs to, the Animal Shelter of Schoharie Valley. The other dog found safe was an 18-month-old yorkie terrier mix named Pluto.
Tributes to Kim, who was from Springfield, Virginia, poured into an online memorial Monday, with fellow dog rescuers thanking him for flying flights and coordinating pilots across the country.
''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, said in a statement.
