A volunteer Mineola firefighter who was just weeks away from graduating Binghamton University, was killed in a hiking accident.

Andrew Desiderio, 20, was killed in an accident Monday while hiking in Utah.

The Eagle Scout and avid outdoorsman is being remembered for his huge heart. Loved ones describe him as a Renaissance man.

Desiderio's old Scout leader says every time he came home from school, he would come over to check on him.

"He had a gift to lead other boys," says Boy Scout leader Steve Grosskopf. "He was kind."

Desiderio was on a trip with friends when they decided to go hiking at Philmont Scout Ranch. Grosskopf says the group was out of range when things went terribly wrong.

"Unfortunately, he slipped," says Grosskopf. "He had a bad fall, and it took his life."

Andrew Martone Jr. is the newly elected chief of the Mineola Fire Department where Desiderio was a member for four years. Martone says Desiderio had a smile that always brought up the room when he walked in.

Desiderio was set to graduate in May with a degree in mechanical engineering.

There's a GoFundMe page that is raising money to create a scholarship in conjunction with Mineola High School.