Missing University of Pittsburgh Student Might Have Drowned

India-West News Desk

NEW YORK, NY – Authorities believe that Sudiksha Konanki, a 20-year-old University of Pittsburgh student, might have tragically drowned after being caught in a large wave while swimming in the Dominican Republic.

Konanki, who was visiting the country with five female friends, was last seen around 4:50 a.m. on March 6 at a beach near the Riu Republica Resort in Punta Cana. According to Dominican officials, Konanki and another person were among the last remaining members of their group on the beach the night before, and the two went for a swim into the early hours of March 6. The wave reportedly overwhelmed them, and Konanki was swept away, the New York Post reported.

An individual spotted on CCTV was questioned by investigators, although it remains unclear whether he was also a University of Pittsburgh student. Sudiksha, a legal permanent U.S. resident from northern Virginia, was swimming in the ocean when the wave struck, and authorities now believe that this was the cause of her disappearance.

A massive search effort involving helicopters, drones, and rescue teams scoured both the waters and the coastline in a desperate attempt to locate her, but they were unsuccessful. Sudiksha was last seen wearing a brown bikini, yellow and steel bracelets, and a designer anklet. The search continued through the weekend with no word of her whereabouts.

The embassy of India in the Dominican Republic, along with the State Department and local authorities, is working to resolve the situation, while the University of Pittsburgh has been in contact with Konanki’s family.

Konanki, originally from India, was described as 5 feet 3 inches tall with black hair and brown eyes, according to an online flyer shared by authorities.