A 20-year-old University of Pittsburgh student is believed to have drowned in a large wave during a spring break trip to the Dominican Republic, according to a report.
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, as stated in a flyer circulating 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.
On March 5, Konanki was seen walking on the beach with six people before her disappearance, three Dominican officials told ABC News. Most of the group returned to the hotel that night, but one person remained with her on the beach in the early morning hours of March 6, according to an investigative police report cited by the network.
The report stated that Konanki and this person went for a swim and were caught in a large wave. Officials believe she died by drowning, ABC News reported.
Investigators later questioned a "young man" who entered the waters around the time Konanki disappeared, according to the Dominican Republic newspaper Listin Diario.
"We are still in the 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, which is good news. Obviously, our hearts break 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."
Miyares added, "It is a reminder for all of us that when we’re on vacation, it’s important to always be mindful of where, when, and who you’re with. Make sure you’re traveling with groups because, unfortunately, criminal elements exist in almost every country, and their number one target is often foreign tourists. They know this is a place unfamiliar to travelers."
A spokesperson for the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office also told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that the report of Konanki drowning may be "based on her last known location near the beach, but there’s no evidence to support that conclusion at this time."
Konanki is a citizen of India and a permanent legal U.S. resident, according to the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office. She is described in the flyer as 5 feet, 3 inches tall, with black hair and brown eyes.
The flyer noted she was last seen around 4:50 a.m. on March 6 wearing a brown, two-piece bikini, large 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.
The Embassy of India in the Dominican Republic is working with the U.S. State Department and local law enforcement, a Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson said.
"The LCSO 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," they added in a statement on Sunday.
Defensa Civil Dominicana, a Dominican Republic search and rescue force, said Saturday it had completed a full day’s search for Konanki, with operations scheduled to resume on Sunday.
The University of Pittsburgh stated it is in contact with Konanki’s family and authorities in Loudoun County, Virginia, and has offered its full support to find her and bring her home safely, the institution told WTAE.
Fox News’ Michael Dorgan contributed to this report.
Greg Norman is a reporter at Fox News Digital.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Stay updated with the latest happenings! For more news, visit ZTC News and Z News Today.