Retired NYPD Officer Scott Blackshaw, who spent days searching for his fallen comrades at Ground Zero, died at home early Sunday after a yearslong battle with cancer caused by 9/11 toxins, friends said. He was 52.

Blackshaw, who never married, joined the NYPD in 1990 and was working with the 13th Precinct when the twin towers fell.

He spent more than 100 hours immersed in the devastation, looking for bodies among the rubble.

In 2010, the Huntington Station native retired from the force and briefly moved to South Carolina before cancer forced him to return to Long Island.

Black and purple bunting hung outside Blackshaw's home Monday to commemorate his sacrifice. Even in mourning, Blackshaw's friends were grateful to have known a man like him.

"Scott brought us all together, we were all able to become friends," said Young-Lubchuk of her pal's Long Island community.