A young and outstanding Navy Cadet has passed away in India after travelling there for an opportunity of a lifetime.

New Zealand Cadet Forces announced that treasured member of TS Amokura’s Ships Company, Chief Petty Officer Cadet Sacha Piper, passed away last Thursday.

Piper was in New Delhi on an international cadet exchange hosted by the Indian National Cadet Corps to celebrate the 75th anniversary of its formation.

She was one of 10 cadets from New Zealand selected to go on the trip.

“The exchange programme was a great success and the opportunity of a lifetime, which she had seized with great enthusiasm,” NZCF said.

NZCF wrote in a post on Facebook that Perry began experiencing headaches and was admitted to hospital shortly before the group were due to return to New Zealand.

“It was discovered that she had experienced a cerebral aneurysm.”

“Despite immediate care of the highest standard, her condition rapidly worsened and she passed away peacefully several days later, with her family at her bedside.”

Piper is being remembered as someone who loved every part of being a Navy Cadet, who cared for new entries into training and will be missed by many the other cadets, officers and RF staff all across NZCF that she forged friendships with.

“While our hearts ache from the loss of a ship mate, friend, mentor and role model, we are comforted by the knowledge that Sacha was doing something that she was fiercely passionate about.

“Her life has been tragically cut short, but her memory will be an everlasting example of what young people can achieve, and a reminder that each and every day is precious, and we must use all of our time to reach for the stars.”

Piper’s mum posted to Facebook saying her “darling daughter had now left this earth” and uploaded a video of Piper’s NZCF Amokura Unit jumping off a jetty in her memory.

“Thank you [to] her fellow cadets at the NZCF Amokura Unit for this perfect remembrance of Sacha. Sacha was so there jumping with you laughing the loudest.”