PUNTA CANA, Dominican Republic — Unpredictable currents are known to impact the idyllic resort where University of Pittsburgh student Sudiksha Konanki was  in the Dominican Republic last week.

Her last known whereabouts came in the early hours of March 6, as she was captured on hotel surveillance camera headed to the beach at the five-star Riu Republica resort in Punta Cana.

Everyone else seen going to the beach with her is accounted for. She never returned.

Even when the green flag is up — safe waters — conditions can change without warning, according to Yuri, a local charter boat captain.

"In the Caribbean, all of a sudden the wind comes," he told Fox News Digital. "You have to always be vigilant."

Many of the beaches have netting installed to keep swimmers safe and keep out floating seagrass. However, portions of the beach are unprotected, including several sections of the beach behind the Riu.

There is also a coral reef stretching  that ends near the hotel’s beachfront, allowing for stronger currents, Yuri said. Sharks are uncommon in the area, but not unheard of, he added. In the daytime, they are likely afraid of the sound of motorboats. But the boats aren’t active at night.

The currents are also unpredictable, experts say.

"Punta Cana is located on the Mona Passage, which connects the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean between the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico," explained  and digital content producer Andrew Wulfeck, who examined coastal records from around the time of Konanki’s disappearance.

"As is common where two waterways meet, the swell can be erratic and difficult to forecast, unlike the more predictable patterns often seen on beaches along the U.S. East Coast."

Because of the predictability of the coastline of the mainland U.S, he said, authorities know that if someone is washed away, they will typically be carried to the north.

"Unfortunately for authorities on the island of Hispaniola, the erratic nature of the swells there means it is impossible to predict where items may wash up, necessitating the need for heightened vigilance from all beachgoers," Wulfeck said.

In January, four tourists drowned near Punta Cana, when a red flag warned of strong currents and rough seas.

On the morning of Konanki’s disappearance, swells of between 4 and 6 feet were coming from the north and east, he said. However, in the following days, they shifted toward the east and south.

Authorities are urging the public not to jump to conclusions as the investigation unfolds.

"Let's say, for instance, she was caught up in a rip current, she could have been dragged out and then the current could have carried her somewhere else," he said. "A nearby buoy in the Mona Passage indicates water temperatures are in the low to mid-80s, which can help support a person who might be stranded on a flotation device without the threat of immediate hypothermia."

While early reports suggested she may have drowned, experts say they believe she would have washed ashore or been found by now if that were the case. Authorities are officially urging the public not to jump to conclusions as the investigation unfolds.

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