Pitt Student Vanishes During Spring Break Trip in Dominican Republic

PUNTA CANA, Dominican Republic – Authorities in the Dominican Republic have launched an intensive search for Sudiksha Konanki, a 20-year-old University of Pittsburgh student who disappeared during a spring break trip in Punta Cana. Konanki was last seen in the early hours of March 6, 2025, walking along the beach near the Riu Republica Resort, where she was staying with a group of friends. As of Sunday, March 9, 2025, her whereabouts remain unknown, sparking widespread concern among her family, university officials, and local authorities.

Konanki, a resident of Ashburn, Virginia, was reported missing on Thursday, March 6, after she failed to return from a morning walk along the beach. According to the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office, which was contacted by her family that evening, she had been traveling with a group in the popular resort town when she vanished. “Our office was 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 sheriff’s office spokesperson told 13 News Now 

Details of her last known moments indicate she was last spotted at approximately 4:50 a.m. on the beach near the Riu Republica Resort. A missing persons flyer circulated on Instagram described her as 5 feet, 3 inches tall, with black hair and brown eyes, 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 flyer, shared widely across social media, urged anyone with information to come forward, stating, “We need your help to get the word out.”

The University of Pittsburgh has expressed deep concern over Konanki’s disappearance. Jared Stonesifer, a university spokesperson, confirmed that officials are in close contact with her family and authorities in Loudoun County, Virginia. “University officials are in contact with Sudiksha Konanki’s family as well as authorities in Loudoun County, Virginia, and we have offered our full support in their efforts to find her and bring her home safely,” Stonesifer said in a statement to WTAE 

In the Dominican Republic, the search effort has been spearheaded by Defensa Civil, a local search and rescue organization. The group began combing the area on Saturday, March 8, but suspended operations around 8 p.m. that evening without success. “The Orange Search and Rescue Unit, along with other institutions, worked from early Saturday hours, trying to find the whereabouts of the young woman, Sudiksha Konanki, without success,” Defensa Civil announced via social media, adding that the search resumed at 5 a.m. Eastern Time on Sunday, March 9 [WUSA9, Web ID: 3]. The Riu Hotels & Resorts chain, which operates the Riu Republica Resort, has also pledged full cooperation with local authorities. “From the moment her absence was reported, we have been working closely with local authorities, including the Police and Navy, to carry out a thorough search,” the hotel chain stated according to Dominican Today.

Konanki’s disappearance has cast a shadow over what is typically a festive spring break season in Punta Cana, a destination known for its pristine beaches and vibrant tourism industry. Reports from other guests at the Riu Republica Resort have highlighted additional challenges, with some citing a lack of power, running water, and food at the property amid the ongoing crisis [Daily Mail]. These conditions have fueled speculation about the circumstances surrounding her vanishing, though no official connection has been established.

This is an evolving story, and updates will be provided as new information becomes available.

17GEN4.com