Authorities investigating the disappearance of a University of Pittsburgh student in the Dominican Republic now shared a heartbreaking theory about what may have happened to her.
Sudiksha Konanki, 20, was on a beach near Riu Republica Resort in Punta Cana late Wednesday (March 5) night with six others when most of the group decided to leave.
She and one other person remained on Punta Cana beach into the early hours of Thursday (March 6), three Dominican officials told ABC News.
According to an investigative police report cited by the outlet, the pair later went for a swim.
Local outlet Listin Diario also reported that Konanki – a US resident and Indian national from Loudoun County, Virginia – was seen swimming with a “young man” early that morning, shortly before she was last spotted walking along the beach in a brown bikini after 4:00AM.
It is still unclear whether the man was part of the University of Pittsburgh group traveling with Konanki.
Officials have described the missing student as 5 feet 3 inches tall, with black hair and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing a brown bikini, along with bracelets on both arms and an anklet.
Per The Independent, Konanki’s friends alerted authorities when she could not be found.
She was reported missing at 8:00AM on Friday by the US embassy in the Dominican Republic.
The individual Konanki went swimming with is reportedly now under investigation by Dominican police and has faced questioning, along with Konanki’s friends, to confirm his version of events, Listin Diario reported.
Authorities have now shared a heartbreaking theory on what may have unfolded.
ABC News reports that officials believe Konanki may have been caught in a powerful wave and subsequently drowned.
Despite the theory that she may have drowned, officials in Loudoun County caution that there is no definitive proof of that conclusion.
A spokesperson for the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that speculation about drowning may be “based on her last known location near the beach, but [there’s] no evidence to support that conclusion at this time”.
Search teams have been working around the clock to locate Konanki, deploying helicopters from the Dominican Republic’s armed forces and drones over the water, while crews continue scouring the sand for any sign of her.
The Embassy of India has taken the lead on the ground, working alongside Dominican agencies and U.S. law enforcement to aid in the search.
University of Pittsburgh spokesperson Jared Stonesifer said the school has been in close contact with Konanki’s family and local authorities.
“We have offered our full support in their efforts to find her and bring her home safely,” he said, urging anyone with information to contact the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office, per PEOPLE.
Konanki’s loved ones have also turned to social media, pleading for public assistance in the search.
A missing persons poster shared online by a friend of her parents read: “We need your help to get the word out! If you are in the area or can help with the search, or if you have any information that could lead to her whereabouts, please reach out.
“The more people who know, the better the chances we can bring her home safely.”
