Whereabouts still a secret Father stages his drowning, absconds and is found
In August, strangers discover a capsized kayak on a lake. However, the investigators do not find the owner's body. Three months later, they track him down in Eastern Europe - alive and well.
No time? blue News summarizes for you
- Ryan Borgwardt, a father of three, faked his death by drowning in Green Lake in Wisconsin by capsizing his kayak and returning to shore unnoticed in a rubber boat.
- After escaping, he crossed the Canadian border and is believed to have flown to Europe.
- The Green Lake Sheriff's Office is in contact with Borgwardt. However, he does not reveal his whereabouts and does not speak to his family.
- At home, Borgwardt faces possible charges of obstruction of justice and compensation claims of 40,000 dollars or more for the costly search operation.
"Good news: We know he's alive and well," Sheriff Mark Podoll of the Green Lake County Sheriff's Office said at a media orientation. The man in question is Ryan Borgwardt. He has a wife and three children.
In August, people discovered a capsized kayak on Green Lake in Wisconsin. Despite a seven-week search and countless dives, the investigators did not find a body. However, they did find the car and other items belonging to the owner of the kayak - his set of keys, wallet and driving license. It is now clear why the search for the person was unsuccessful.
"The bad news is that we don't know exactly where Ryan is, and he has not yet decided to return home," the sheriff continued. CNN and various other US media outlets are reporting on the case.
Via Canada to Eastern Europe
Borwardt described his disappearance to him, says Matthew L. Vande Kolk, deputy sheriff of Green Lake County. He had ridden an e-bike to Green Lake and told his family he was going fishing.
As he paddled out onto the lake in his kayak, however, a child's rubber boat pulled behind him. He then capsized the kayak and returned to the shore in the rubber boat. Before that, he dropped his phone in the lake.
After nightfall, he rode his e-bike almost 130 kilometers to the city of Madison, took a bus to Detroit and later crossed the Canadian border. From there, he flew to Europe.
Investigators finally made contact with Borgwardt on November 11 and have been communicating with him almost daily ever since. However, the missing man has not yet spoken to his family.
In a video sent to the authorities last week, Borgwardt appears in a faceless room and says: "I'm in my apartment. I'm safe, there's no problem."
Reasons and whereabouts unknown
Before his disappearance, Borgwardt had wired money to a foreign account, changed his e-mail and communicated with a woman in Uzbekistan, Sheriff Mark Podoll said.
Back in January, Borgwardt had taken out a life insurance policy for $375,000, which Vande Kolk said was to help his family.
Investigators were finally able to make contact with Borgwardt through a Russian-speaking woman, although it remains unclear whether this was the woman from Uzbekistan with whom he had previously communicated. He also leaves open whether he has a relationship with the woman through whom the contact was made.
It remains unclear what could have prompted the father to leave his family and his previous life behind. Sheriff's officials who spoke to CNN are not making any clear statements on the matter. Vande Kolk says Borgwardt did it for "a variety of reasons."
"In our conversations, we emphasize the importance of his decision to return home and clean up the mess he made," said Vande Kolk, who Podoll said had built a good relationship with Borgwardt. He said he regretted how he had hurt his family and also felt bad about the many hours the community had invested in searching for him.
His family and a police report await him
The extensive search for Borgwardt has been costly and emotionally draining for both his family and search crews, the sheriff's office deputy chief said. Authorities are determined to hold him accountable for the consequences of his actions - and pray to the cashier, he said.
The sheriff's office is preparing charges of obstruction of justice against Borgwardt. The county will also seek up to $40,000 in compensation for the search, including equipment and wages.
Borgwardt reportedly told investigators he thought they would stop looking for him after about two weeks. He also chose Green Lake because it is the deepest natural lake in Wisconsin.
"He chose the wrong sheriff and the wrong department," Vande Kolk comments.
The FBI, the Department of Homeland Security and the Wisconsin Department of Criminal Investigations are assisting the investigators.
His family wants him back. "Christmas is coming up, and what better gift to give his children than to be with them for Christmas," Vande Kolk said.
This article was created with the help of artificial intelligence (AI). All content created by AI is verified by the editorial team.
