Riibe told authorities that he and Konanki had talked and kissed, and were in the ocean together when a large wave hit them and pulled them out farther into the ocean, news outlets including ABC News and the Dominican publications El Nacional and Noticias SIN reported, according to a transcript they obtained of his interview with police.

The man who last saw missing University of Pittsburgh student Sudiksha Konanki told investigators he thought she was OK and had "taken her things and left."