Community mourns Rutgers ROTC cadet who died during summer training

✅ Rutgers student Neil Edara died during ROTC training at Fort Knox

✅ Temperatures were around 90 on the day of Edara's death

✅ Edara was also a first responder in Ridgewood

An ROTC cadet from New Jersey died Thursday while attending a summer training program at Fort Knox in Kentucky.

The U.S. Army Cadet Command said Neil Edara, 22, of Ridgewood, was participating in land navigation training and became unresponsive on Thursday during cadet summer training as part of the 9th Regiment, Advanced Camp.

The Rutgers University student was taken by helicopter to the University of Louisville, where he was pronounced dead. The cause of his death remains under investigation, according to Cadet Command.

The cause of Edara's death is under investigation. Temperatures in Louisville were in the upper 80s and low 90s and humid with a dew point of 72, according to Weather Underground.   The National Weather Service issued a heat advisory for the area that day, advising people to avoid spending long periods outside.

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'Dedicated and promising young leader'

Edara joined ROTC at Rutgers University in September 2021.

“Cadet Edara was one of the most dedicated and promising young leaders I’ve had the privilege to know,” Lt. Col. Timothy Sorensen, Rutgers professor of military science, said in a statement. “His calm, collected demeanor and unwavering commitment to excellence left a lasting impact on everyone around him. His loss is deeply felt across the entire ROTC and Rutgers community. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and loved ones during this incredibly difficult time.”

Ridgewood police said they worked with him as a member of Ridgewood Emergency Services.

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