American college student believed to have drowned in big wave: report
A 20-year-old University of Pittsburgh student is believed to have drowned in a big wave during a spring break trip to the Dominican Republic, a report says.
Sudiksha Konanki, from northern Virginia, was reported missing last Thursday in Punta Cana after last being seen on a beach at the five-star Riu Republica Resort, according to a flyer being circulated online. 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 Digital.
Konanki was seen walking on the beach with six people on March 5, prior to her disappearance, three Dominican officials told ABC News. During the night, most of the group went back to the hotel, but one person stayed behind with her on the beach in the early morning hours of March 6, the network added, citing an investigative police report.
The report stated Konanki and this person went for a swim and were caught in a big wave and the officials said she is believed to have died by drowning, according to ABC News.
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Investigators later were questioning a “young man” who went into the waters of the beach around the time Konanki disappeared, the Dominican Republic newspaper Listin Diario reported.
“We are still in information gathering stage,” Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares told “Fox & Friends” on Monday when asked about the young man. “Her friends have all been accounted for, that is the good news. Obviously, our heart breaks for the family. We want to find her, we want to hopefully find her safe and sound. Right now, there is just so much that we don’t know.”
“It is a reminder for all of us that it is easy when we are on vacation … to always be mindful both of when, where and who you are with and also make sure that you are traveling with groups,” Miyares added. “Because, unfortunately, you do have criminal elements in almost every country, that their number one target is always foreign tourists. They know this is a place they are not familiar with.”
When asked about the drowning report on Monday, a spokesperson for the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office told Fox News Digital “We have heard this and have seen no evidence presented at this time.
“As of last night, investigators were still actively interviewing persons who may have seen or been with her last Wednesday evening and Thursday morning, as well as reviewing surveillance video and phone records to help ascertain what happened and why,” spokesperson Thomas Julia added.
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Konanki’s parents flew to Punta Cana after learning about their daughter’s disappearance, according to WTOP. Her father Subbarayudu Konanki and a family friend reportedly filed a complaint on Sunday calling for local police to expand the investigation.
“It’s four days, and if she was in water, she would likely have been strewn to shore,” said Subbarayudu Konanki told WTOP. “She’s not found, so we’re asking them to investigate multiple options, like kidnapping or abduction.”
“Her belongings, including personal items like her phone and wallet, were left with her friends, which is unusual because she always carried her phone with her,” the station quoted her father writing in the complaint. “In light of these circumstances, I respectfully request that the authorities take immediate steps to investigate not only the possibility of an accidental drowning, but also the possibility of a kidnapping or foul play.”
Konanki is a citizen of India and the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office said she is a permanent legal U.S. resident. She is described in a flyer as 5 feet, 3 inches tall, with black hair and brown eyes.
The flyer said she was last seen around 4:50 a.m. on March 6 wearing a brown, two-piece bikini, big round earrings, a metal designer anklet on her right leg, yellow and steel bracelets on her right hand and a multicolored beaded bracelet on her left hand.
“At RIU Hotels, we are deeply concerned about the disappearance of one of our guests,” the company told Fox News Digital in a statement on Monday.
“We would like to express our deepest sympathy to the family and friends during this incredibly difficult time. The safety and well-being of our guests are our highest priority, and we are fully committed to doing everything in our power to assist in this situation,” it added. “Additionally, we have established an internal communication channel so that any of our employees, across our five hotels in Punta Cana, who may have relevant information can share it with us or the authorities.”
The Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office said Sunday it “is working closely with our federal partners at the U.S. Department of State, FBI, DEA, and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) as well as the University of Pittsburgh police in support of the ongoing investigation by the Dominican National Police.”
Defensa Civil Dominicana, a Dominican Republic search and rescue force, said Saturday it had completed a full day’s search for Konanki and had operations planned for Sunday.
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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 to find her and bring her home safely, the institution told WTAE.
Fox News’ Michael Dorgan contributed to this report.