Missing American in Dominican Republic: Unpredictable ocean currents, beachfront pose major search challenge

PUNTA CANA, Dominican Republic — Unpredictable currents are known to interaction the idyllic edifice wherever University of Pittsburgh pupil Sudiksha Konanki was past seen earlier vanishing successful the Dominican Republic past week.

Her past known whereabouts came successful the aboriginal hours of March 6, headed to the formation astatine the five-star Riu Republicana edifice successful Punta Cana.

Everyone other seen going to the formation with her is accounted for. She ne'er returned.

The edifice has been flying reddish flags for days – indicating beardown currents and large waves.

AMERICAN COLLEGE STUDENT SUDIKSHA KONANKI’S DISAPPEARANCE IN DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: TIMELINE

Local authorities hunt for missing US pupil Sudiksha Konanki successful Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, Tuesday, March 11, 2025. Konanki, 20, was past seen connected March 6 connected a formation extracurricular the five-star RIU Republica Resort successful the Dominican Republic. (Santiago Baez for Fox News Digital)

Even erstwhile the greenish emblem is up – harmless waters – conditions tin alteration without warning, according to Yuri, a section charter vessel captain.

"In the Caribbean, each of a abrupt the upwind comes," helium told Fox News Digital. "You person to ever beryllium vigilant."

Many of the beaches person netting installed to support swimmers harmless and support retired floating seagrass. However, portions of the formation are unprotected, including respective sections of the formation down the Riu.

There is besides a coral reef stretching on the Punta Cana formation that ends adjacent the hotel’s beachfront, allowing for stronger currents, Yuri said. Sharks are uncommon successful the area, but not unheard of, helium added. In the daytime, they are apt acrophobic of the dependable of motorboats. But the boats aren’t progressive astatine night.

AUTHORITIES MUST LOOK AT MAN LAST SEEN WITH MISSING STUDENT SUDIKSHA KONANKI, HOLLOWAY INVESTIGATOR SAYS

Local authorities hunt for missing US pupil Sudiksha Konanki successful Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, Tuesday, March 11, 2025. Konanki, 20, was past seen connected March 6 connected a formation extracurricular the five-star RIU Republica Resort successful the Dominican Republic. (Santiago Baez for Fox News Digital)

The currents are besides unpredictable, experts say.

"Punta Cana is located connected the Mona Passage, which connects the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean betwixt the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico," explained FOX Weather meteorologist and integer contented shaper Andrew Wulfeck, who examined coastal records from astir the clip of Konanki’s disappearance. 

"As is communal wherever 2 waterways meet, the swell tin beryllium erratic and hard to forecast, dissimilar the much predictable patterns often seen connected beaches on the U.S. East Coast."

HOTEL HORROR STORIES EMERGE AFTER AMERICAN COLLEGE STUDENT GOES MISSING AS RESORT INSISTS NO CONNECTION

People bask clip connected the formation astatine the RIU Republica Resort successful Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, Tuesday, March 11, 2025. Sudiksha Konanki, 20, was past seen connected March 6 connected a formation extracurricular the five-star RIU Republica Resort successful the Dominican Republic. (Santiago Baez for Fox News Digital)

Because of the predictability up the coastline of the mainland United States, helium said, authorities cognize that if idiosyncratic is washed away, they volition typically beryllium carried to the north.

"Unfortunately for authorities connected the land of Hispaniola, the erratic quality of the swells determination means it is intolerable to foretell wherever items whitethorn lavation up, necessitating the request for heightened vigilance from each beachgoers," Wulfeck said.

On the greeting of Konanki’s disappearance, swells of betwixt 4 and 6 feet were coming from the northbound and east, helium said. However, successful the pursuing days, they shifted toward the eastbound and south.

Local authorities hunt for missing US pupil Sudiksha Konanki successful Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, Tuesday, March 11, 2025. Konanki, 20, was past seen connected March 6 connected a formation extracurricular the five-star RIU Republica Resort successful the Dominican Republic. (Santiago Baez for Fox News Digital)

"Let's say, for instance, she was caught up successful a rip current, she could person been dragged retired and past the existent could person carried her determination else," helium said. "A adjacent buoy successful the Mona Passage indicates h2o temperatures are successful the debased to mid-80s, which tin assistance enactment a idiosyncratic who mightiness beryllium stranded connected a flotation instrumentality without the menace of contiguous hypothermia."

While aboriginal reports suggested she whitethorn person drowned, experts accidental they judge she would person washed ashore oregon been recovered by present if that were the case. Authorities are officially urging the nationalist not to leap to conclusions arsenic the probe unfolds.

BETH HOLLOWAY IDENTIFIES KEY DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SUDIKSHA KONANKI CASE AND HER DAUGHTER'S

They person identified and questioned a idiosyncratic of involvement successful the case, an American assemblage pupil who was the past idiosyncratic seen with Konanki the greeting she vanished, but it has not been deemed a transgression matter. It is presently a missing idiosyncratic investigation.

Konanki, a inferior astatine the University of Pittsburgh who is from Loudoun County, Virginia, was past seen connected information footage walking toward the formation astir 4:15 a.m. She was with a radical of young people, including 5 pistillate friends and 2 young men, 1 of whom is believed to beryllium a idiosyncratic of involvement successful the case. They had been drinking astatine the edifice bar.

Sudiksha Konanki, 20, from Virginia, vanished successful Punta Cana. (Handout, left, and Defensa Civil Dominicana, right.)

The classmates and different antheral were seen returning to the edifice astir 6 a.m.

Hours aboriginal different man, believed to beryllium the idiosyncratic of interest, returned alone. Konanki has not been seen again.

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Her friends reported her missing astir 4 p.m.

Police person spent days searching the coastline with boats, dive teams and helicopters. The FBI is involved, and the sheriff from her Virginia hometown said helium would beryllium sending 2 detectives to assistance successful the investigation.

Fox News’ Audrey Conklin and Stepheny Price contributed to this report.