A Hermosa Beach man remains in a coma at a nearby hospital suffering from severe brain trauma following a skateboarding accident last Thursday night on Monterey Boulevard at Manhattan Avenue that resulted in him hitting his head on a street curb.

Scott Connelly, 37, remains in grave condition at Harbor UCLA Medical Center where he has been in a drug-induced coma since the accident to eliminate brain activity until the swelling of the brain – mostly around the stem – peaked and has now begun to go back down. Doctors began reducing the amount of medication this past Monday, which will be completely out of his system by the week’s end, and then doctors will be able to determine the level of Connelly’s brain activity. The reduction in medication will make it possible for Connelly to awake from the coma by Friday.

One of Connelly’s best friends in the South Bay, Steve Rapone, who has known him for about 11 years, organized a candlelight vigil at the site of the accident. About 150 people attended the service.

“Once all of the medication is out of his body is when he would actually come out of the coma and that’s what we are hoping for,” said Rapone. “Scott is very outgoing and well-liked. His brother calls him the conductor of an orchestra. One of the reasons for the candlelight vigil was to show his family that lives out in Florida the kind of support he has out here. His mother was just overwhelmed by the turnout. I’m just a believer in all of this positive energy and I think it’s what is really going to pull him out of it. The more people who know about it the more who are able to send good thoughts his way.”

Connelly hopped on a skateboard last Thursday night between 1 and 2 a.m., and began to build up speed along the section of Monterey Boulevard that slopes down to Manhattan Avenue. He attempted to jump off the skateboard to retain control and lost his footing. Connelly fell forward, hit his head on the curb and lost consciousness immediately. Connelly suffered a massive head injury – fracturing his skull, and sustaining brain contusions and hemorrhages. He later underwent emergency surgery to remove a portion of the bone on his skull to allow the brain to swell.

Connelly’s older brother, Brian, and their parents attended the vigil and were astounded with the number of people who were there in support.

“We came around that corner in the car and it was a stunning sight,” said Brian. “It was just an awesome thing to see. We had no idea what he means to the people out here. I can tell you being from out of town and not knowing anybody just to see the love and warmth from all of those people with their sincere and desperate hopes that he is OK was the most amazing affirmation that we could have received. It gave us all so much hope again.”

Connelly has lived in Hermosa Beach more than a decade. Scott Lingenfelter, who is also from Florida, met him in 1994 after responding to a roommate-wanted advertisement. They lived together about four years.

“Scott is a real larger-than-life guy and a real high-energy person. If there is a chance of coming back from something like this, he is the one guy who would do it,” said Lingenfelter.

Originally from Vero Beach, Fla., Connelly graduated from the University of Florida and moved out to Southern California in 1991. Brian Connelly describes his brother as very athletic and a very popular student in college as a member of the fraternity Sigma Alpha Epsilon.

“He orchestrates every year the ‘Gator in the Woods’ event that has become the lifeline for a lot of guys who come from all over the country to either Tampa, Orlando or Vero Beach,” said Brian. “They spend the weekend, catch up on families and lives, and reconnect on all the things that made them good friends in the first place. This event is now in its 15th year. He is the sole reason as to why it works. He is unrelenting in his efforts to keep people connected.”

The accident occurred April 30 and Connelly was leaving for Florida the next morning to get what he always referred to as his “family fix.”

“Scott is just an absolute lover of people and always wants to be around something fun,” said Brian. “He fell in love with Hermosa Beach. It’s hard to imagine Scott ever sitting still; he’s constantly in motion. When I think of my brother I think of a guy who lives large. After Scott graduated, so often is the case in which people start living their own lives and they grow apart, but Scott absolutely refused to let those bonds go away.”

Connelly now lives near 25th Street and Manhattan Avenue and plays volleyball down at the beach near 22nd Street. He works in West Los Angeles as a corporate headhunter for Technical Connections Inc. He has been with the company for the past 12 years.

Connelly made headlines in 1996 after he saved a man’s life while on vacation. He and Lingenfelter vacationed in the British Virgin Islands with the latter’s family. Connelly and Lingenfelter went out diving, and Connelly saved a man who had drowned while diving by administering CPR.

Those interested in receiving updates on Connelly’s condition may join a distribution list by e-mailing scottslist@tci-la.com.