Wisconsin Kayaker Who Faked His Death and Escaped to Eastern Europe Now In Custody, Records Indicate

GREEN LAKE, Wis.—A man from Wisconsin who pretended to drown himself and abandoned his wife and three children to travel to Eastern Europe is now in police custody, according to online records.

Ryan Borgwardt, 45, was booked into the Green Lake County Jail on Tuesday afternoon, as per the Victim Information and Notification Everyday system, which provides updates on jail custody status to crime victims. No charges have been listed at this time.

The Green Lake County Sheriff’s Office announced on Tuesday via social media that a news conference will be held on Wednesday morning to provide an update regarding the Borgwardt case. They stated that no additional information would be released until then.

A representative at the sheriff’s office declined to confirm Borgwardt’s custody status on Tuesday night. Officials at the county jail did not respond immediately to a phone message that evening.

Last month, Sheriff Mark Podoll mentioned that Borgwardt began communicating with law enforcement on November 11 after he had been missing for three months, although he had not committed to returning to Wisconsin. Podoll noted that investigators were “pulling at his heartstrings” in an effort to encourage his return. He indicated that Borgwardt might face charges for obstructing the investigation into his disappearance.

Borgwardt informed authorities last month that he staged his death due to “personal matters,” according to the sheriff. He explained that in mid-August, he drove approximately 50 miles from his residence in Watertown to Green Lake, where he capsized his kayak, discarded his phone, and then paddled an inflatable boat to shore. He chose that specific lake for its depth as it is the deepest in Wisconsin.

Following his departure from the lake, he rode an electric bike approximately 70 miles through the night to Madison, as stated by the sheriff. From Madison, he took a bus to Detroit, then another bus to Canada, and finally boarded a plane.

The sheriff mentioned that investigators are currently working to corroborate Borgwardt’s account of the events.

The search for Borgwardt’s body, which lasted over a month, cost the sheriff’s office at least $35,000. According to the sheriff, Borgwardt had indicated that he did not anticipate the search would extend beyond two weeks.