A missing toddler has been discovered following an extensive search, authorities announced on social media, delivering a heartbreaking conclusion to a case that deeply affected the community.
After an extensive nearly two-week search, authorities confirmed on March 11 that 2-year-old Dane Paulsen was found in Oregon’s Siletz River, approximately three miles downstream from his family’s property. He had been missing since March 1.
“Tragically, he was found deceased,” the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office stated in a Facebook press release, noting that investigators are processing the scene in collaboration with the Lincoln County Medical Examiner’s Office. Authorities added that no further details are available at this time.
The sheriff’s office reported that volunteer diver Juan Heredia from the Angels Recovery Dive Team joined the search after coordinating with authorities. With guidance from a local river expert, he explored areas downstream from those previously searched by sheriff’s office divers and located the child at approximately 11:13 a.m.
Following the discovery, officials expressed their sorrow over the tragic loss. “Our thoughts are with the family, who are facing an unbearable sorrow,” Sheriff Adam Shanks stated.
Sheriff Shanks also expressed gratitude for the dedication of search teams and community members throughout the challenging search, while mourning the tragic outcome. The sheriff’s office confirmed that Paulsen’s family has been notified.
Before Paulsen was found, authorities conducted an extensive search effort with assistance from multiple agencies, search and rescue teams, and community volunteers. In a March 2 press release, the sheriff’s office reported that teams had covered 382 acres and 283 miles within the first 24 hours, utilizing drones, K9 units, divers, and watercraft.
Investigators initially pursued a report of an unfamiliar vehicle and an adult male seen near a bridge close to the family’s home around the time Paulsen went missing. However, after following up on a community tip, authorities located both the individual and the vehicle, ultimately determining they were “no longer a point of interest.”
The sheriff’s office explained that Paulsen’s disappearance did not meet the criteria for an Amber Alert, but updates were shared through FlashAlert and social media. They also stated that there was no evidence of criminal activity at that time.
The tragic discovery of Paulsen’s body comes as another search effort is underway—this time for a university student who vanished during an early morning walk abroad.
On March 10, reports emerged that Sudiksha Konanki, a 20-year-old University of Pittsburgh student from Virginia, went missing while on a spring break trip to the Dominican Republic. Authorities say she was last seen early Thursday morning near the Riu República Hotel in Punta Cana.
Konanki had been traveling with five other female students from her university and was staying at the Riu República Hotel, a popular resort for spring breakers. According to her father, she told friends on March 6 that she planned to attend a party at the resort.
Surveillance footage captured Konanki and seven others — five women and two American men — heading to the beach at 4:15 a.m. The footage later showed five women and one man leaving the beach around 5:55 a.m., while Konanki stayed behind with one of the men.
Another security camera captured the same man leaving the beach alone at 9:55 a.m.—four hours later—with no sign of Konanki. Her friends reported her missing at 4 p.m. Thursday, about 12 hours after she was last seen. Local police have launched an active search, reviewing surveillance footage and questioning those who were last with Konanki.
It looks like you repeated the same sentence. Would you like me to help with anything else or modify that text further?
The Dominican Navy, Civil Defense, National Emergency System, and Tourism Police are all assisting in the search efforts, deploying drones, helicopters, and ground teams to comb the coastal area, nearby bay, and wooded regions.
“So far, the authorities, multiple authorities here in the Dominican Republic, have searched the waters. They searched using helicopters and other tools. They also searched the nearby bay, bushes, and trees. They went multiple times around the same areas,” said Konanki’s father, Subbarayudu Konanki.
Friends and family have reached out to the media, pleading for any information that could assist in locating Konanki. Her father has urged authorities to explore all possibilities, stating that he does not believe she simply disappeared into the water. He has also called on officials to consider the potential of kidnapping or human trafficking.
The University of Pittsburgh has expressed concern over Konanki’s disappearance and has been in contact with her family. The Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office in Virginia, where her family resides, has been working closely with federal law enforcement, the U.S. State Department, and Dominican authorities.
