Man last known to be seen with missing University of Pittsburgh student tells prosecutors how he rescued her from rough water

The antheral past known to beryllium seen with a University of Pittsburgh pupil earlier she vanished from a formation successful the Dominican Republic gave much details to section prosecutors astir the past clip helium saw her, Dominican quality bureau Noticias SIN reported.

Sudiksha Konanki, 20, disappeared from the formation of the Riu República Hotel successful the aboriginal hours of March 6, sparking a frantic hunt involving authorities from the Dominican Republic, the United States and India, wherever Konanki was born.

The antheral who was with her astatine the beach, Joshua Steven Riibe, told prosecutors helium and Konanki were deed by an aggravated question and were swept retired to oversea erstwhile the h2o returned, according to Noticias SIN. Riibe is not considered a fishy successful the lawsuit and has not been accused of wrongdoing.

One of Riibe’s attorneys, Helen Peralta, told CNN connected Friday they did not person a connection astatine this time.

During his 4th interrogation with prosecutors connected Wednesday, Riibe described a harrowing effort to prevention Konanki aft they were jostled by the wave.

“It took maine a agelong clip to get her out. It was difficult,” Riibe said, according to Noticias SIN. He said helium was trained arsenic a lifeguard, but worked astatine pools, not astatine the beach.

“I was trying to get her to respire the full time. That didn’t let maine to respire each the time, and I swallowed a batch of water. I could person mislaid consciousness respective times. When I yet reached the crushed connected the beach, I held her successful beforehand of me.”

He said helium past saw Konanki erstwhile she was walking successful knee-deep water.

“The past clip I saw her, I asked if she was OK. I didn’t perceive her reply due to the fact that I started vomiting up each the seawater I had swallowed.”

“After vomiting, I looked around, and I didn’t spot anyone. I thought she had grabbed her things and left,” Riibe said.

“I felt precise sick and tired. I laic down connected a formation seat and fell dormant due to the fact that I couldn’t spell far.”

Riibe’s aunt, Theresa Riibe, asked for privateness successful a connection to CNN Friday.

“Our household is going done a precise hard clip close now, and we’re experiencing a batch of sadness and pain,” the connection said. “We kindly inquire for privateness arsenic we navigate this challenging infinitesimal together.”

CNN’s Lex Harvey and Caroll Alvarado contributed to this report.

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