Aspiring pilot Aman Kumar was swimming with five of his friends when he suddenly disappeared in the water and never surfaced at the popular Maraetotara Falls in Hawke's Bay on December 21st.
The 20-year-old student’s body was recovered by the Wellington Police National Dive Squad the following day.
Mr Kumar, who was taking advanced flying lessons at Air Hawke's Bay flight school in Bridge Pā, near Hastings, had migrated to New Zealand a year ago and was due to return to his family in New Delhi next month after completing his training.
But little did they know that their only son would return unexpectedly and nonetheless in a casket, nine days after he breathed his last.
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Mr Kumar's Delhi-based cousin Ajit Singh told Stuff that Mr Kumar’s family is struggling to cope up with their son’s demise and at the same time is finding it difficult to arrange the “huge amount” to cover the repatriation bill running to $13,764.
“Aman's body has returned in India but after nine days, this again the big tragic for us to see him after so long ... it was so hard for us to wait after such incident,” Mr Singh said.
Mr Kumar reportedly possessed travel and medical insurance compulsory for all international students in New Zealand, however that doesn’t guarantee payouts to the family in an event of death, leaving many bereaved families like Mr Kumar’s facing repatriation bills amounting to thousands of dollars. 
Manjit Boparai, a community leader based in Australia who has helped to transport many bodies of Indian nationals to their loved ones warned that one must be diligent when buying overseas health insurances.
Image for representation only Source: AAP
“People don't think about these things when they buy health insurance for an overseas visit, but I think we must look for insurance companies that will cover repatriation costs - even if it means paying extra for it."
"Far too many new migrants are affected by this. I do believe we should make health insurance companies more accountable in those cases when tragedy strikes suddenly," Mr Boparai said in an interview with SBS Punjabi.
The cost of moving mortal remains internationally is a costly affair that can range anywhere between $5,000 to $15,000 depending upon various factors including the deceased’s body weight, circumstances of death, coffin type, local regulations, cost of flights, country of death and destination of transport.
Earlier, Mr Kumar’s family had written a letter to India’s External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj requesting her to assist them in transporting their son’s body from Hastings to New Delhi which they claimed was taking longer than usual due to the Christmas holidays.
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