Watch: Sudiksha Konanki Case: Person of Interest Details Terrifying Last Encounter Before Disappearance
More details about Sudiksha Konanki‘s disappearance are coming to light.
As authorities continue to search for the University of Pittsburgh student who went missing March 5 during a spring break trip in the Dominican Republic, a key witness shared his encounter with her on the beach.
The man—who is not considered a suspect by the Dominican Republic authorities—said that he and his friend met Konanki and her friends after coming back to the Riu República Resort from a party. (Virginia’s Loudon County Sheriff’s Office—where her family lives—has no jurisdiction over the case but has sent detectives to Punta Cana to assist on the U.S. side. The Loudon County authorities have also identified the unnamed man as a person of interest.)
Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Thomas Julia told NBC News that a person of interest “is not the same thing as a suspect as this is not a criminal matter. It is still a missing person case.”
“We all went to the bar,” the witness told the Dominican Republic investigators in a March 12 interview obtained by NBC News. “We had drinks, ordered some shots, and someone suggested we go to the beach.”
The witness shared in the interview that after removing his belongings and putting them on a chair, he and Konanki went into “waist-deep water” where they were “talking and kissing a little.”
He said that “a big wave” came and swept them into the current. He noted, “As soon as we were able to surface, we tried to call for help, but there was no one there.” (A Riu spokesperson told People in an email March 11 that red flags were placed on the beach before the incident as a warning of “strong current and high waves.”)
As a certified lifeguard, the witness told authorities that he “grabbed” Konanki and “held her” under his arm as he tried to swim back to shore. He said he “kept trying to get her to breathe” as he pulled them back to the beach but struggled to catch his breath simultaneously.
Cristina Arias/Cover/Getty Image
“I swallowed a lot of water,” he shared. “I could have lost consciousness several times. When I finally reached the ground on the beach, I pulled her in front of me. She went to gather her belongings since the sea had moved us.”
“She wasn’t out of the water, as it was up to our knees,” he continued. “She was walking at an angle in the water. The last time I saw her, I asked if she was OK. I didn’t hear her answer because I started vomiting all the seawater I’d swallowed.”
The witness explained that after, he looked around and “didn’t see anyone” on the beach, so he thought she grabbed her belongings and left.
“I felt really bad and tired,” he recalled. “I laid down on a beach chair and fell asleep because I couldn’t go far. Then I woke up because of the sun and mosquito bites. I went to my friend’s room to get my phone, and then I went to my room to sleep.”
Facebook/Defensa Civil La Altagracia
He said that his friend asked him if he knew where Konanki was the next day, to which he replied, “I thought she had gone to her room,” but his friend told him she never returned.
While three Dominican officials close to the investigation told ABC News they believe Konanki died by drowning—no body has been recovered—Loudon County Sheriff Mike Chapman is determined to find a conclusive answer.
“I think it’s way too premature to make an assumption like that,” he said on NewsNation’s Banfield March 10. “There has been no sighting of her in any capacity here. So, it’s very important that we go through all this like we do some detailed investigation. We are working closely with Dominican authorities.”
Read on for more about Konanki’s disappearance.
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Facebook / Sudiksha Konanki
Sudiksha Konanki traveled to the Dominican Republic on March 3.
Facebook / Sudiksha Konanki
The 20-year-old headed to the Dominican Republic with five friends to celebrate the Universtiy of Pittsburgh’s spring break.
Cristina Arias/Cover/Getty Image
Konanki had been staying at the Hotel Riu Palace Punta Cana, an all-inclusive resort.
Following her disappearance, the hotel told NBC News, “We have been working closely with the local authorities, including the police and the navy, to conduct a thorough search. We would like to express our deepest sympathy to the family and friends during this incredibly difficult time … we are fully committed to doing everything in our power to assist in this situation.”
Konanki was reported missing on March 6 after her friends returned from a beach walk without her. It is believed to have disappeared between the hours of 3 a.m. and 5 a.m. that morning.
Facebook/Defensa Civil La Altagracia
Following her disappearance, local officials began an investigation. Local civil defense confirmed it had begun searches on land and by sea, while a spokesperson for the Sheriff’s Officy in Loudoun County in Virigina—where Konanki was from—told NBC News investigations included obtaining video, going through cellphone evidence and talking to people who were with Konanki.
Facebook/Defensa Civil La Altagracia
On March 9, officials told ABC News they believe Konanki died by drowning.
According to a police report, cited by ABC News, during the walk on the beach, most of the group decided to go back to the hotel at some point during the night while one friend remained with Konanki. The pair reportedly decided to go for a swim, and the police report notes the pair were caught by a big wave.
Officials reportedly said the friends who had been with Konanki were questioned by police but had not been charged with anything.
Facebook/Defensa Civil La Altagracia
Following Konanki’s disappearance, her father Subbarayudu Konanki told CNN his daughter had been traveling before beginning pre-med studies.
“My daughter is a very nice girl,” he said. “She’s ambitious. She wanted to pursue a career in medicine.”
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