A Wisconsin kayaker thought to have been missing for months and was presumed dead likely faked his own death and fled to Europe, investigators said Friday.
Ryan Borgwardt, 44, vanished after a trip to Green Lake on Aug. 12. Green Lake County Sheriff Mark Podoll said Borgwardt's family reported him missing after he didn't return from a kayaking trip to the area.
Authorities Searched for Borgwardt for 54 Days, Found an Overturned Kayak and a Life Vest Floating in the Water
"There was nothing we could find, so we continued our search. And it continued for 54 days," Podoll said in a news conference Friday. Through repeated searches, investigators found an overturned kayak and life vest floating in the water, along with Borgwardt's fishing gear on shore nearby. His vehicle was at the boat launch.
However, In October, Podoll said he found out law enforcement in Canada ran Borgwardt's passport Aug. 13, the day after he disappeared. "Wow. Yeah. That was something we didn't expect," Podoll said. And the case unraveled from there.
Investigators Found Borgwardt Transferred Funds into Foreign Banks, Bought an Airline Gift Card and Took Out a Life Insurance Policy Before Disappearing
Investigators later learned that Borgwardt obtained a second passport, cleared his hard drives and browser history and changed his banking information on the day of his disappearance. He also transferred funds to foreign accounts, took out a $375,000 life insurance policy and purchased an airline gift card.
Borgwardt was said to be in contact with a woman from Uzbekistan. "Due to these discoveries of the new evidence, we were sure that Ryan was not in our lake," Sheriff Mark Podoll said.
"Ryan, if you're watching this, I'm pleading that you contact us or contact your family. We understand that things can happen, but there's a family that wants their daddy back," Podoll said in front of the press Friday.
Law enforcement did not specify exactly where they think Borgwardt is, but they did say they are trying to make contact with him, determine what crimes — if any — he committed, and sue him for the wasted county resources.
