The 39-year-old New Fairfield volunteer firefighter devoted 22 years to the town's fire department, became an EMT, a paramedic and a hazardous materials technician.
At one time he went back to school to study environmental issues and until this week worked in a New York state hospital program specializing in treating wounds and infections.
In the end, Mahana, known to his friends as Scott, was unable to save his own life.
As Mahana crawled beneath his blue Jeep Cherokee in the backyard of his home to check the brakes, the vehicle collapsed and pinned him to the ground.
Police found Mahana dead early Wednesday afternoon after his boss reported him absent from work.
Fellow firefighter and longtime friend Mark Hennessey, 42, a member of one emergency team that responded to Mahana's home on Rocky Hill Road, said they found the vehicle had been jacked up so someone could work beneath it.
"We don't know what happened," Hennessey said Thursday. "Scott did a lot of his own repair work and was mechanically inclined. He knew all the safety procedures. He was well trained."
A spokesman for the state Medical Examiner's Office said Mahana's death had been ruled an accident and that he died from traumatic asphyxia.
"There's been a great deal of shock and sadness among the rest of the guys at the department to think he perished the way he did and at such an early age," said Bud Korol, 63, another firefighter and a longtime New Fairfield resident. "The firehouse is going to be very empty without him."
On Thursday, the flag at the department's Company A firehouse flew at half staff and black drapes hung above the entrance.
"Scott was a man of many talents," said Fire Chief Ed McCue. "Everyone at the department is upset because it's been so sudden. He's definitely going to be missed."
One friend, Maria Bogues, wife of volunteer firefighter Randy Bogues, said she was still in a state of shock. "The whole family is devastated," she said. "He was a good man."
Maria Bogues, whose 19-year-old daughter, Stefania, is also a volunteer, said Mahana used to visit their home.
"We enjoyed his company," said Maria Bogues. "Scotty was Scotty. He was awesome."
Mahana, who was unmarried and lived alone, was raised in New Fairfield. His father, Robert, taught in New York state and his mother, Gail, was a special education teacher in the New Fairfield school district.
Scott Mahana graduated from New Fairfield High School in 1985. In his yearbook, he listed soccer, snow skiing and water skiing among his favorite sports. His said his pet peeve was coming across people who thought they were better than other people.
"I'd known Scott since grade school," said Hennessey. "He was the best friend you could ever have. Whenever you needed him he was there. He'd do anything for people."
Mahana's neighbor, Anne Cleary, was one of them.
"He was something of a loner and liked being by himself. But he was a good neighbor and liked helping out," Cleary said. "I remember whenever it snowed, he'd help clear the driveway."
Mahana's long association with the fire department began in 1984 when he and Hennessey decided to become volunteers. Mahana worked his way through the ranks to be a first lieutenant, a second lieutenant and captain. Hennessey is currently the assistant chief of Company A.
Although Mahana's parents are now dead, he still has one brother, Brent, who has been living in New Orleans.
"I think the department became a kind of family for Scott," said Hennessey. "He was always there even in bad weather and was always active. He did all the drills and did all the training."
In winter Mahana would use his enthusiasm for scuba diving during mock exercises for rescuing people who had fallen through the ice on Candlewood Lake.
Hennessey said Mahana once went back to school to study environmental issues and later worked for a environmental company cleaning up oil spills.
For the past year, Mahana had worked at the Westchester Medical Center University hospital as a certified hyperbaric technician. Hyperbaric chambers use pure oxygen to treat wounds.
It was Mahana's department head, Ron Brown, who first called the police after Mahana failed to show up for work on Wednesday.
"I was worried because Scott always called if he was going to be late, but I never heard from him," said Brown. "He told me on Tuesday he wanted to get his car fixed."
Brown finally learned of Mahana's death in the newspapers.
"It was like being hit over the head with a lead pipe," Brown said. "It's a small unit here and everyone's been crying. Scott had a great future with us but then I think he would have had a great future wherever he went."
A service for Robert Scott Mahana will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday at St. Edward the Confessor Church, Brush Hill Road, New Fairfield.
Contact Brian Saxton at [email protected] or at (203) 731-3332.
Reprinted with the permision of The News-Times of Danbury.
