The man who last saw missing University of Pittsburgh student Sudiksha Konanki told investigators he tried to save her from the ocean, and that he thought she was OK and "had grabbed her things and left."
Authorities believe Konanki, a 20-year-old who went missing while on spring break in Punta Cana, died by drowning, officials told ABC News.
A member of civil defense canine unit searches for Sudiksha Konanki, a university student from the U.S. who disappeared on a beach in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, March. 10, 2025.
Francesco Spotorno/AP
On March 5, Konanki was part of a group that went to a nightclub and then for a walk on the beach, three Dominican officials involved in the investigation told ABC News. Most of the group went back to the hotel around 5:55 a.m. One man -- 24-year-old Joshua Riibe -- stayed with Konanki on the beach, and the two went for a swim, according to a Dominican Republic investigative police report.
Riibe confirmed he and Konanki kissed, he told a prosecutor Thursday, according to a source with the Dominican Republic National Police.
Sudiksha Konanki is seen in this undated photo shared to Meta.
Sudiksha Konanki via Meta
A big wave caught them both, and Riibe -- a pool lifeguard -- said he tried to save Konanki, according to the source.
"I held her under my arm and swam to get her out of the water. ... It took me a long time to get her out. It was difficult," Riibe said, according to the source. "When I finally reached the ground on the beach, I held her in front of me. She wasn't out of the water, she was knee-deep and walking at an angle out the water."
"The last time I saw her, I asked if she was OK. I didn't hear her reply," he told the prosecutor.
"I didn't see anyone. I thought she had grabbed her things and left," he said.
Riibe said he vomited and passed out on the beach, according to police sources. He was seen on surveillance footage returning to his room several hours later.
Authorities said Riibe is not a suspect and is cooperating. But the prosecutor’s office said it is "conducting multiple investigating steps that extend beyond a possible accidental event."