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Disappearance of University of Pittsburgh Student in the Dominican Republic

A man who was last seen with Sudiksha Konanki, a 20-year-old student from the University of Pittsburgh, provided further details to local prosecutors regarding her disappearance from a beach in the Dominican Republic. This development was reported by the Dominican news agency Noticias SIN.

Konanki went missing on March 6 at the Riu República Hotel beach, igniting a widespread search that involves authorities from the Dominican Republic, the United States, and India, her country of origin.

Joshua Steven Riibe, the individual who was with Konanki, explained to prosecutors that they were caught by a strong wave and subsequently swept into deeper waters. Authorities have clarified that Riibe is not regarded as a suspect in this ongoing investigation.

In a statement from his attorney, Helen Peralta, it was communicated that they currently have no further comments on the situation.

During his fourth session with legal authorities, Riibe recounted a distressing attempt to rescue Konanki after they were affected by the wave. He expressed the difficulty of the situation, noting, “It took me a long time to get her out. It was difficult.” He revealed that, although he is trained as a lifeguard, his experience is primarily in pool settings rather than the ocean.

He described the physical toll of the incident: “I was trying to get her to breathe the whole time. That didn’t allow me to breathe all the time, and I swallowed a lot of water. I could have lost consciousness several times.” After making his way back to the beach, he recalled holding her in front of him.

Riibe stated he last saw Konanki in knee-deep water and inquired if she was alright, but due to the seawater he had swallowed, he was unable to hear her response. “After vomiting, I looked around, and I didn’t see anyone. I thought she had grabbed her things and left,” he said.

Feeling exhausted and unwell, Riibe then lay on a beach chair and fell asleep, believing he could not venture far.

Following the incident, Riibe’s aunt, Theresa Riibe, released a statement requesting privacy for the family during this challenging time. She conveyed their feelings of sadness and the emotional strain experienced by the family.

The report draws insights from contributions by CNN’s Lex Harvey and Caroll Alvarado.

Source
www.yahoo.com