The family of the animal rescue pilot who lost his life attempting to give the dog a second chance was receiving the ashes of Lisa, a big-eyed, brown and white puppy who perished last week in an aircraft disaster in the Catskill Mountains of New York.
Leah Kim, 16, daughter of 49-year-old volunteer pilot Seuk Kim, said the family thought of the tribute flight as a means to make sure Lisa had a home at last and to finish her father’s mission with the rescue organization Pilots n Paws.
We all took a seat and discussed our plans for his remains. In a phone interview from Springfield, Virginia, Kim stated, “After being offered the opportunity to have Lisa’s remains brought to us, we decided that we would all feel much better if she was with us.”
It’s clear that he loved her enough to risk his life in an attempt to save her. She said, “And we just want to make sure she’s being taken care of.” We believe it is our duty to carry on what he began.
Seuk Kim had left Maryland on Nov. 24 to travel to Albany, New York, as part of a rescue operation with Pilots n Paws. His 1986 Mooney M20J, which had Lisa and two other small dogs on board, crashed in southeastern New York’s cold, mountainous terrain under mysterious circumstances. The two pups that remained survived, but Kim and Lisa were slain.
Chris Moon, a friend and fellow Pilots n Paws volunteer pilot, traveled to Albany on Sunday to retrieve Lisa’s ashes and transport them to Kim’s family in Virginia.
According to Leah Kim, Lisa’s ashes and the remains of a cherished family miniature poodle will probably be interred in their backyard.
“We are all comforted just to have Lisa close by,” she remarked.
Her father will have a funeral on Thursday.
Seuk Kim, a native of South Korea, dreamed of become a pilot as a child. After receiving his pilot’s license four years ago, he started moving dogs and cats for rescue groups from overcrowded shelters and disaster zones, according to his daughter.
According to her, he would frequently discuss the orphaned dogs and cats he assisted in rescuing while traveling many times a week to collect animals for various charities.
He has always had a deep affection for animals. According to Leah Kim, they have been one of his passions.
Forever Changed Animal Rescue’s transport coordinator, Penny Edwards, referred to Seuk Kim as an amazing individual and acknowledged that he was the driving force behind her organization’s delivery of goods to Hurricane Helene victims in North Carolina this fall.
She stated, “It’s just incredible how many lives he touched and impacted in such a short period of time that he was flying.” It was more than just saving animals. He was simply very active in the community.
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