LOUDOUN COUNTY, Va. — Search and rescue crews in the Dominican Republic completed a full day of looking for a missing 20-year-old from Loudoun County on Saturday after she had been reported missing while on vacation in the Caribbean island-nation.
Sudiksha Konanki, a college student at the University of Pittsburgh, was first reported missing on Thursday, while traveling with a group during spring break at a resort town of Punta Cana, based on information from the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office. Authorities in the Dominican Republic said Konanki went missing while “walking on the beach.”
“Our office were contacted on Thursday evening about a missing female from Loudoun County who was with a group of other people traveling in the Dominican Republic, Punta Cana specifically,” a spokesperson for the LCSO said on Saturday.
Sunday night, Loudoun County Sheriff Mike Chapman told WUSA9 his office has been working closely with Dominican officials, the FBI, DEA and the Indian embassy.
He said it’s unclear if she was swept away or if foul play was involved.
“It’s possible she never went into the water. It’s possible that there is something else that could have happened. We can’t just assume that’s the case, so we have to presume that at this point anything is possible and that’s why we’re looking at every single option,” Chapman said.
Defensa Civil, a Dominican Republic search and rescue force, began searching for Konanki on Saturday morning. In an update on social media, the organization’s Canine Unit joined the search Monday morning.
According to the post, Defensa Civil technician Ramón Paulino and his canine partner Max are searching Monday. Max is trained to locate living people in open spaces, the post says.
Drones are also being used in the search according to Juan Salas, executive director of Defensa Civil and president of the National Emergency Commission (CNE), the post says. They are being used to track the beach and surrounding areas.
University of Pittsburgh spokesman Jared Stonesifer said the Pennsylvania college has been in touch with Konanki’s family and officials in Loudoun County as the search continues.
“We have offered our full support in their efforts to find her and bring her home safely,” Stonesifer said on Saturday. “Anyone with information is urged to contact the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office.”
WUSA9 reached out to the U.S. State Department for a statement,
“We are aware of reports of a University of Pittsburgh student missing in the Dominican Republic. Due to privacy considerations, we have nothing further to share at this time.”
Sheriff Chapman encourages anyone traveling overseas to check for travel advisories.
“We’re just hoping and praying that we find her. That’s the outcome we want. I mean, she’s a Loudoun County resident, so we take the incident very seriously as it is and, even more serious because she’s one of ours,” Chapman, said.
On Sunday evening, WUSA9 spoke with a family friend, she said Konanki’s parents traveled to the DR. The family friend said the 20-year old’s parents are devastated and are desperately looking for her. The Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office said search efforts will continue Monday morning.
In a statement Monday, Virginia congressman Suhas Subramanyam said he was in contact with Konanki’s family.
“I am actively working with federal and international agencies to leverage every possible resource available to bring her home safely,” he said. “We are all praying for her safe and immediate return home.”