Officials: Missing U.S. College Student Sudiksha Konanki Possibly Drowned at Dominican Republic Beach

Twenty-year-old University of Pittsburgh student Sudiksha Konanki — who went missing on Thursday while vacationing in the Dominican Republic on spring break — possibly died by drowning, authorities say.

Konanki is an Indian citizen but also a legal permanent resident of the United States whose home is in Loud0un County, Virginia, ABC New reported on Sunday.

The group she traveled with to Punta Cana included several other young women, and authorities have launched an extensive search for Konanki. According to the ABC report:

Three Dominican officials involved in the investigation told ABC News that Konanki was walking on the beach with six people on March 5 before she is believed to have drowned in the ocean.

At some point, most of the group went back to the hotel during the night, but one person stayed with her on the beach, according to a Dominican Republic investigative police report.

She and this person went for a swim and were caught by a big wave, the police report said.

Konanki was last seen on the beach just after 4:00 a.m. at the Riu Republica Resort. Authorities have questioned a “young man” who was apparently swimming there when Konanki disappeared, per Fox News.

During an interview on “Fox & Friends,” Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares said officials are still gathering information about the young man, while also urging people to remember to be mindful of their group and location when they are traveling.

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.”

Law enforcement has questioned the young woman’s group of friends but none of them has been charged in the case.

A spokesperson with the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office said of the reported drowning, “We have heard this and have seen no evidence presented at this time,” adding that officials are still interviewing people linked to the case and reviewing surveillance video and phone records.

Konanki’s family still fears there is a criminal element to the case, the New York Post reported on Monday. The outlet noted her father and his wife arrived in Punta Cana when he realized his daughter had disappeared.

The family has filed a criminal complaint urging the Dominican Republic’s authorities to investigate the possibility of drowning, kidnapping, and foul play.

Her father said if she was in the water for the past several days, her body would have washed up on shore by now, adding, “She’s not found, so we’re asking them to investigate multiple options, like kidnapping or abduction.”