GREEN LAKE, Wis. (WFRV) – The Green Lake County Sheriff's Office in Wisconsin revealed new information on Thursday about Ryan Borgwardt, the missing kayaker who allegedly faked his own death and planned his disappearance on August 12, 2024.
Deputies have been able to make contact with Borgwardt, 45, after being connected to through a woman who speaks Russian. (Borgwardt's location is still unknown, but authorities believe he is somewhere in Eastern Europe.)
“The great news is that we know he’s alive,” stated Sheriff Mark Podoll. “The bad news is we do not know where [Borgwardt] exactly is, and he has not yet decided to return home.”
The Green Lake County Sheriff’s Office has urged Borgwardt to return to the United States and “clean up the mess he’s made,” emphasizing the importance of his return for his wife and, more importantly, his children.
Sheriff Podoll suggested Borgwardt may fear the community’s reaction to his actions.
“I can see that,” Podoll said. “He staged his death, and unfortunately, one of the things he did say is that he didn’t expect us to go more than two weeks searching for him. I hate to tell him that he picked the wrong sheriff and the wrong department.”
Borgwardt was first reported missing on Aug. 12 after he failed to return home from kayaking on Big Green Lake, the Green Lake County Sheriff’s Office said at the time. Deputies found an unoccupied kayak with a life jacket attached to it when they went searching for Borgwardt. His vehicle was also found near Big Green Lake.
For 54 days, numerous search efforts were conducted to find Borgwardt. But in early November, authorities announced that they believed Borgwardt planned his Aug. 12 disappearance and tried to conceal his efforts to mislead investigations.
Investigators revealed that Borgwardt’s name had been run on Aug. 13 by law enforcement in Canada. An analysis of a laptop given to them by Borgwardt’s wife also indicated suspicious activity: Borgwardt is alleged to have replaced his hard drive and cleared the browser on the date of his disappearance, syncing it into the cloud on Aug. 11, and he had taken photos of his passports.
Authorities said he also moved funds into a foreign bank and changed his email address while communicating with a woman from Uzbekistan. In addition, Borgwardt reportedly took out a $375,000 life insurance policy and purchased airline cards.
Sheriff Podoll clarified during Thursday's press conference that the insurance policy was intended to provide support for Borgwardt's family, and not himself.
Deputies were ultimately able to make contact with Borgwardt on Nov. 11 during their investigations into his disappearance. Borgwardt confirmed he had attempted to fake his own death.
Borgwardt also provided a video to officials confirming he is alive and safe, and residing in an apartment. The apartment’s location remains undisclosed.
Authorities have developed a relationship with Borgwardt, maintaining daily communication. During these interactions, Borgwardt detailed how he faked his death and fled the country: Borgwardt had decided to go "missing" on Big Green Lake because it was the deepest lake in Wisconsin. He then allegedly stashed an electric bike near the boat launch, paddled to the center of the lake in a kayak, overturned it, threw his phone into the water, and used an inflatable device to return to shore. From there, he rode the e-bike to Madison, Wisconsin — a nearly seven-hour journey — and then took a bus to Detroit.
Borgwardt reportedly crossed into Canada before boarding a flight to another destination.
Authorities are now working to identify anyone who may have assisted Borgwardt in faking his death.
Borgwardt could face an obstruction charge in Wisconsin and may be required to repay the $35,000–$40,000 spent on search efforts. Federal charges are also possible, though no decision has been made. While a warrant is not currently in place, authorities noted that could change as the investigation progresses.
Sheriff Podoll concluded Thursday's press conference on an emotional note, choking up as he delivered a heartfelt message.
“Christmas is coming, and what better gift he could give his kids than to be there for Christmas with them,” Podoll said.
