Investigators believe Wisconsin kayaker faked his own death before fleeing to eastern Europe

MADISON, Wis. -- A Wisconsin man apparently faked his own drowning this summer so he could abandon his family and flee to eastern Europe, investigators say.

Green Lake County Sheriff Mark Podoll said in a news release Friday that the Dodge County Sheriff's Office informed his agency on Aug. 12 that Ryan Borgwardt of Watertown had gone missing after he went kayaking on Green Lake. Borgwardt’s wife said that he texted her at 10:49 p.m. on Aug. 11 saying he was heading to shore.

Deputies located Borgwardt's vehicle and trailer near the lake. They also found his overturned kayak with a life jacket attached to it on the lake, in an area where the waters run more than 200 feet (60 meters) deep. An angler later discovered Borgwardt's fishing rod.

Investigators had speculated that Borgwardt's kayak capsized and he didn't have a life jacket. The search for his body went on for more than 50 days, with divers on several occasions exploring the lake.

Bruce's Legacy, a nonprofit organization that specializes in recovering drowning victims, searched about 1,500 acres (6 square kilometers), often in more than 100 feet (30 meters) of water, and scoured hours of sonar data and images to no avail.

In early October, Podoll's department learned that Canadian law enforcement authorities had run Borgwardt's name through their databases the day after he was reported missing. The news release did not say why they ran his name or offer any further details about the circumstances.

Further investigation revealed that Borgwardt had reported his passport lost or stolen and had obtained a new one in May. His family easily found his original passport, the sheriff said in the release.

An analysis of a laptop — the release did not say whose — revealed a digital trail that shows Borgwardt had planned to head to Europe and tried to mislead investigators.

The laptop's hard drive had been replaced and the browsers had been cleared on the day Borgwardt disappeared, Podoll said in the news release. Investigators found passport photos, inquiries about moving funds to foreign banks and communication with a woman from Uzbekistan. They also discovered that Borgwardt also took out a $375,000 life insurance policy in January.

“At this time we believe that Ryan is alive and likely in Eastern Europe,” Podoll said in the news release.

He added that his agency will continue to work with federal and international law enforcement to determine whether Borgwardt committed any crimes and whether anyone helped him. The sheriff also plans to seek restitution for search expenses.

Podoll didn't immediately return a message left Tuesday by The Associated Press seeking more details. Attempts to reach Borgwardt family members by telephone weren't successful.

Keith Cormican runs Bruce's Legacy in honor of his brother, Bruce, a Black River Falls firefighter who drowned searching for a drowning victim in 1995. He called the Borgwardt search “disheartening," saying he could have used the time he spent searching for Borgwardt helping other families.

“You meet all kinds in the world and I guess this guy went to the extremes faking his disappearance, so it's a first,” Cormican said. “He definitely cost us a lot of grief, a lot of money, repairs and equipment. I just hope he comes forward sooner rather than later so the family can move on.”

Authorities this past January extradited an elusive U.S. fugitive named Nicholas Rossi from Scotland to Utah, where he's accused of two sexual assaults. Investigators believe he faked his own death and fled the U.S. to avoid charges. He was arrested in Scotland in 2021 after being recognized at a Glasgow hospital during treatment for COVID-19.

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This story has been updated to correct the spelling of “Podoll” and “Borgwardt” throughout.