Firefighter William Mahoney

William J. Mahoney II, 37, was a 15-year FDNY veteran.

Mahoney had previously worked as a NYPD scuba diver, skills he also used with the FDNY, assisting with the search and recovery effort after the crash of TWA Flight 800. “He was part fish.”

This father of four was a volunteer firefighter with the Lakeland Fire Department. He loved baseball and played in 2 adult leagues. For good luck, his wife’s name was written on the inside of his glove and he insisted that everyone in the family had to touch his bat before he would play. He also coached his kid’s teams. “He wasn’t one of those screaming Little League coaches,” friends recalled. “He preferred the quiet approach, taking a kid aside and giving him a confidence boost and some inspiration.”

Mahoney was a cabinet maker and ran a tent rental business on the side. His body found at the end of October.