Army ROTC cadet from New Jersey dies during training in Kentucky

A 22-year-old U.S. Army ROTC cadet died during training in Kentucky last week, officials said.

Neil Edara of Ridgewood, New Jersey, died after becoming unresponsive during land navigation training at U.S. Army installation Fort Knox on Thursday, the U.S. Army Cadet Command said in a statement Saturday.

He was attending Cadet Summer Training as part of 9th Regiment, Advanced Camp, the command said. He received medical attention at the scene before being taken by helicopter to University of Louisville Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, it said.

Edara was at the installation’s land navigation site, the command said, which is used to teach cadets how to determine locations and distances for travel and targeting.

High temperatures in the area of Fort Knox have been in the low 90s in recent days, according to National Weather Service data.

The weather service on Sunday issued an urgent weather message to extend a heat advisory for the region through Wednesday night. “Hot temperatures and high humidity may cause heat illnesses,” the message warned.

The Army Cadet Command’s news release announcing Edara’s death did not mention the heat wave gripping much of the South and Midwest, and what caused his death is under investigation.

“Safety of cadets and cadre remains U.S. Army Cadet Command’s top priority as training continues,” the command said in its statement.

The command said Edara joined the ROTC at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey, in 2021.

Lt. Col. Timothy Sorensen, a Rutgers professor of military science, said Edara had the heart of a leader.

“Cadet Edara was one of the most dedicated and promising young leaders I’ve had the privilege to know,” he said in the command’s statement. “His calm collected demeanor and unwavering commitment to excellence left a lasting impact on everyone around him.”