Drowning unlikely in case of missing US student in Dominican Republic: Investigator

Sudiksha Konanki, a 20-year-old University of Pittsburgh student, was last seen Thursday on a spring break trip in the Dominican Republic. Dominican authorities reportedly believe Konanki drowned, but private investigator TJ Ward called that one of the least likely scenarios. He emphasized the need for authorities to speak with the members of the groups she was traveling with and locals to aid the investigation.

#MissingStudent #UniversityofPittsburgh #SudikshaKonanki

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[jafou]

Walk on the beach at 4am with a stranger? Swimming in the ocean with a stranger at 4am? You wouldn't do that in the US, definitely not a good idea to do that in a foreign country. She will probably never be found just like Natalee Holloway in Aruba. Such a sad story.

[jonest]

my aunt was on a beach in Hawaii just walking on the beach while the water was calm and a wave came out of no where, rushed the beach and pulled her in. There was not alot of people around but A life guard saw her and recused her. The water can change in a blink of an eye.

[lavangadevidasi]

I am an American living in DR and just got back from a resort. There’s lots of free alcohol at these resorts since many are all inclusive and hardly any locals are there. You can get yourself in trouble if not careful since people are in party mode, but regardless it’s not smart to believe walking on the beach at that hour even in the USA. Natalie Holloway was also doing something that probably would have gotten her killed even in the USA, but college kids often just want to have a good time and aren’t thinking of dangers on spring break

[ChannelJtotheD]

Common sense should prevail. 4.30 going for a walk is not a good time. If she was walking in a group, did she stray off. May a miracle happen, she is found alive.

[KingofgraceSARA]

I'm praying foot her safe return home🙏🏾😭

[janethagen]

It’s sad that this young woman was so ignorant to think that she could safely walk on the beach at 4am. This is a VERY dangerous world.

[janesesco-yo]

Hope she is found safe.I pray she wasnt a target for human traffickers.

[lovetruthunderstanding]

He sounds pretty ignorant… these hotels have people who speak English, Italian, French, and German working in these places. They get so many Italians, Germans, and mostly English speaking tourists. And what are you saying? We have bad people in the USA too. I wouldn’t call him back either if I want to find my daughter-he sounds too dumb for the job.

[xantosdeejay]

I'm familiar with the area and if you lay on the sand and fall to sleep you could be taken in by the waves. The tides change in seconds, words are that the person she was with was drinking and felt sleep on the sand and when he woke up she was not there. They are investigating, hopefully she is alive.

[dhickey]

Lone traveler in a foreign country disappears. Lone woman traveling through the Arizona desert disappears. Unfortunately, we see these news clips all the time.

[raymondnguyen]

Praying that this better not be a repeat of the Natalie Holloway incident

[atineog]

This guy is just trying to get a job. First of all, Dominican Republic is not Aruba. Second, she was in the resort with her friends and met two young Americans in a resort party hours earlier. Cameras show them drinking together in the hotel lobby and then all 8 of them decided to go to the beach area of the resort.

Later in the early morning around 4 am, cameras show the group leaving the beach area except for the lady that is missing and the male friend that they met. He is saying to the local authorities that they were in the water together, a wave hit them and he crawled out of the water, vomit and fell asleep on the beach due to not feeling well.

Cameras show him leaving the beach hours later by himself and he says he didn’t see her and thought she had gotten out of the water and left after he fell asleep.

This was the last person to see her and not that she disappeared walking on the beach by herself as being reported.

Unfortunately many people do not know how sensitive, timely and unstable the ocean can become during the night time, specially the Atlantic ocean. There are strong currents in that area and many sharks that hunt a night-time.

Can you have drowning without a body? Of course you can. It’s a very sad situation and hopeful that she is found.

US news, get your facts together…

[yokid]

You are playing to get views. She was with another american guy and he said what happened with her Joshua Ribe, but is easier to talk about a whole poor country and not about drunk americans doing God knows what at 4am alone in a beach.

[Espoboogie]

Anyone traveling abroad need to be wary of your surroundings. Stay in the resort at all times or do your best not to be alone.

[kirtanforthesoul]

Her friends ahould be investigated. They have the answers

[andrewmoore]

Why would she walk the beach at 4:30 am ALONE, like come on, people have to start using common sense.

[dpcwing]

Totally without evidence this private investigator's dismissal of that possibility is ludicrous. All scenarios & possibilities are in play until she is either found or evidence surfaces.

[SCpoint]

I understand he's saying he's not buying it, but seems like it's way too early to rule anything out, including the possibility that she drowned.

[Mannyvz]

The American male that was in the water with her said he got out when he saw the water level go higher and no longer saw her. He was no longer seen in camera for 5 hrs. He may be the bad guy. This old dude has no idea what he’s talking about

[CzarLilMe]

Friends never leave their friends behind especially in a foreign country. Never trust walking with a stranger alone that you don’t know in a foreign country.