Mass. EMT Dies in Accidental Drowning
The Salem News, Beverly, Mass.
Aug. 23—Sean Maney may not have been an EMT for long, but friends say he had fully embraced his new career path and left a lasting impression on others in the field.
Maney, 46, died of what appears to be an accidental drowning. His body was discovered by a fisherman in the surf off of Crane Beach Monday morning.
The official cause of death is still being determined by the chief medical examiner, according to John Guilfoil, who has served as a spokesman for the Ipswich Police Department. Maney was said to have been alone in his boat when he was last heard from Sunday night.
The details surrounding his death are unknown. Maney's boat was found moored off of Crane Beach; the boat's dinghy was found in nearby marshland.
A Rowley resident, Maney was an emergency medical technician with Cataldo Ambulance Service, a career he took up about five years ago. Dan Hoffenberg, Cataldo's chief operating officer, said Maney was extremely dedicated and helpful.
"Sean, around here, was the type of guy where you could meet him for 10 minutes and think you were great friends with him," Hoffenberg said.
Maney served in a variety of roles at Cataldo. Along with responding to medical calls as an EMT, Maney was a trainer for the company. He taught orientation classes, as well as trainings at fire departments.
Maney was one of two of Cataldo's 800 employees to attend the American Ambulance Association's Stars of Life program in Washington, D.C. in June. It's an impressive achievement, Hoffenberg said, given Maney's short time in the field.
"Sean excels as an EMT in the field but also as an educator within our communities," according to a writeup on the Stars of Life website. "He decided to create a reference guide for the new hires and now hands it out as he works with each new employee."
Hoffenberg, who also attended the ceremony, said Maney was "super appreciative of that award."
When he wasn't teaching, Maney typically helped respond to incidents in Revere, Everett, Malden, Chelsea and Somerville, Hoffenberg said.
Maney, who held a degree from Tufts University, also operated his own communications business, Maney Communications. He offered copy writing and editing services; website building, layout and design and image editing. Maney also served as a writing coach, the website said.
Hoffenberg said Cataldo brought in grief counselors to help employees deal with the loss. Around 25 people took advantage of that on Tuesday.
Though he was soft spoken, Maney was friendly and "extremely approachable," Hoffenberg said.
"It hit hard," he said. "Sean touched a lot of people while he was here."
