The desperate search for 20-year-old Sudhiksha Konanki, a pre-medicine student of the University of Pittsburgh, turned tragic after 12 desperate days of desperate search. Her parents, Subbarayudu and Sridevi, formally requested Dominican Republic officials to declare their daughter dead as hopes of her survival dwindled.
A Spring Break Vacation That Went Horribly Wrong
Sudhiksha, who was a student from Rajampet in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, had immigrated to the US with her family in 2006. The young bright girl, on a spring break vacation with five other friends, was in the Dominican Republic when tragedy struck.
On March 6 evening, two of her friends and a 22-year-old Iowan male, Joshua Riibe, were the last to see her. Sudhiksha met Riibe through her friends at the same resort. Riibe was the last to be seen with Sudhiksha from a surveillance camera when she disappeared.
When Sudhiksha did not return home, her friends approached the police, and a large-scale search operation was launched by all agencies ranging from the local police to the FBI and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
Riibe, who had already been interrogated several times, verified that he and Sudhiksha had been swept away by a strong tide. He described how he attempted to rescue her but lost her when he collapsed from exhaustion. Even after hours of unbroken questioning yielded nothing suspicious, and Riibe’s name was not among the suspects.
The search teams navigated land, sea, and air, and even specially trained searches were conducted with the help of underwater radar. None of them were fruitful except for a white sarong caught that Sudhiksha was wearing in the last photograph they took and sandals by the side of a bed on the beach.
Parents’ Desperate Bid to Declare Her Dead
It wasn’t until close to two weeks of fruitless search that Sudhiksha’s parents chose reluctantly to make the painful decision to ask for a formal death declaration for their daughter.
“We understand there are technicalities of the law which need to be addressed, and we will take whatever formality or paperwork is required,” they said in a letter to Dominican Republic authorities.
The parents said although an official announcement was never an option to alleviate their suffering, it would provide them with closure and enable them to recall Sudhiksha.
“With hopes of her survival realistically now nothing, we decided to close the book for us and move on,” said family friend Krishna Duddukuri, who assisted the parents in coordinating with the authorities.
Authorities Continue Search Despite Declaration Call
Despite the appeal by parents for closure via law, the authorities have ensured search operations would never end. “I have witnessed many drowning cases of deaths in the past decade, but never a search operation so massive. They have now used underwater radars for the operation, and I hope they deliver something in time,” Krishna added further.
A Family’s Horrific Loss
The experience has also been severely emotionally taxing to Sudhiksha’s family, particularly to her siblings. They have both been physically and mentally exhausted in worry and stress.
As they continue to seek her, Sudhiksha’s parents can move on and have her memory close to their hearts and get over the healing process. This is in hope that it shall enable them to start grieving and come to accept the bitter harshness of her death.
A passionate writer, Niharika wants to create an impact as she believes that Journalism is not just a profession, but a passion to follow and live in. With a keen eye for storytelling and a commitment to impactful writing. she strives to inform, engage, and inspire through the pieces that she crafts. Niharika has covered the 38th National Games, getting to know the lives of athletes and players closely. When not writing she is listening to music, or browsing through social media for more meaningful topics to cover.
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