March 10 (UPI) -- A missing 20-year-old University of Pittsburgh student in the Dominican Republic likely died in the ocean by drowning, authorities announced Monday.
Sudiksha Konanki, a 20-year-old Indian citizen and a U.S. permanent resident, was reported missing in the Caribbean country on Thursday while on vacation in Punta Cana with six other female college friends. She was last seen at 4:50 a.m. local time Thursday on a beach at Punta Cana's Riu Republica Resort.
Her friends, meanwhile, were questioned by police but none were charged.
On Sunday, a Loudoun County sheriff's office spokesman said that speculation she drowned was "based on her last known location near the beach, but [there's] no evidence to support that conclusion at this time."
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Located outside of Washington, D.C., the sheriff's office for Loudoun County said Sunday in a statement that it was assisting in the investigation into Konanki's disappearance.
"The investigation is looking at everything from an accident to foul play, and interviews are ongoing, along with review of video and phone records," they added. "The best outcome is that she is found alive and well."
"The LCSO is working closely with our federal partners at the U.S. Department of State, FBI, DEA and Homeland Security Investigations as well as the University of Pittsburgh police in support of the ongoing investigation by the Dominican National Police," it initially said.
A police report said the group at one point went back to the hotel, but one person stayed with Konanki on the beach. She said they went for a swim and Konanki allegedly was caught by a big wave.
However, it's unclear if alcohol was involved.
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin added in a separate statement that his administration was working with federal and local partners in the search for the missing woman.
Dominican Civil Defense confirmed the ongoing investigation, stating online Saturday that it had launched a search of the beach where she was last seen.
On Sunday, it said drones and helicopters from the Armed Forces were deployed in the effort.
Sudiksha Konanki's father, Subbarayudu Konanki, told CNN that his daughter had gone on vacation ahead of her pre-med studies as she wanted to pursue a career in medicine.
"She went to the beach on March 6 early morning around 4 a.m. with friends and some other guys they met at the resort. After that, her friends came back after some time and my daughter did not come back, did not show up on the beach," he said, stating his daughter's friends alerted authorities when she wasn't in her room the next morning.
"So far, the authorities, multiple authorities here in the Dominican Republic have searched in the waters. They searched using helicopters and other tools. They also searched in the near bay, bushes, trees. They went multiple times around the same areas."
