Sudiksha Konanki, University of Pittsburgh student thought to have drowned after being swept by wave while going for swim with mystery man during early morning hours during Dominican Republic spring break dream vacation. Search for missing woman has not yielded any discovery.
A University of Pittsburgh student is now thought to have drowned during an early morning swim on what was supposed to be a dream spring break holiday getaway in the Dominican Republic as searches for the missing student are now winding down.
Sudiksha Konanki, 20, from northern Virginia, was reported missing on Thursday in Punta Cana, according to the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office. Punta Cana is located in the east of the Caribbean island nation and is a popular tourist destination.
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Konanki was part of a group of six female University of Pittsburgh students traveling to the area, a spokesperson for the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office told FOX News.
In an updated report, Sunday afternoon, ABC News cited Dominican officials saying that they now believe the missing student likely drowned while walking along ocean shores in the early morning hours of Thursday.
At the time, Konanki was walking with her classmates back to the hotel when she and another person stayed back on the beach, according to a Dominican Republic investigative police report.
She and this person, since identified as a male went for a swim only to be caught by a big wave according to the man, the police report said.
The last time Konanki was seen on the beach on security camera footage was around 4:50 a.m the police report stated.
Not immediately clear is the identity of the male and whether they were a classmate of Konanki’s or an indigenous local. Along with the male, Konaki’s classmates were being interviewed to corroborate the man’s claims.
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Despite the man’s alleged account, US officials questioned the report, with Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Thomas Julia telling the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that speculation Konanki drowned may be ‘based on her last known location near the beach.’
‘But [there]s] no evidence to support that conclusion at this time,’ he claimed.
‘The investigation is looking at everything from an accident to foul play and interviews are ongoing, along with review of video and phone records,’ Julia continued.
‘The best outcome is that she is found alive and well.’
Police have already spoken with Konanki’s friends to establish exactly where a maritime search should be focused, according to CNN.
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They said that Konanki told them she was heading to a party at the resort on Wednesday night, and her friends alerted authorities when she wasn’t in her room the following morning.
She was last seen wearing a two-piece bikini, large round earrings, a metal designer anklet on her right leg, yellow and steel bracelets on her right wrist and multi-colored bracelets on her left.
The pre-med student is expected to graduate from the university in 2026, according to her LinkedIn profile.
Prior to college, she attended Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria, Virginia.
‘My daughter is a very nice girl. She’s ambitious,’ her father, Subbarayudu Konanki said. ‘She wanted to pursue a career in medicine.’
The US State Department is now working with the Indian embassy in the Dominican Republic, which has taken the lead in the investigation as Konanki is an Indian citizen who was a permanent US resident, Julia said.
News of Konanki’s disappearance comes months after the US State Department issued a level two travel advisory for the Dominican Republic, warning Americans to exercise increased caution when visiting the country.
‘Violent crime, including armed robbery, homicide and sexual assault is a concern throughout the Dominican Republic,’ the department said in its June travel advisory.
It went on to warn US visitors to be aware of their surroundings, and not to display any signs of wealth.
It says that resorts are better policed than urban areas like Santo Domingo.
At no point have local authorities stated that the missing student was the victim of foul play or crime from locals.
The University of Pittsburgh said it is in contact with Konanki’s family as well as authorities in Loudoun County, Virginia, and have offered their full support in to find her and bring her home safely, the institution told WTAE.
