Police believed a missing dad-of-three had drowned. It now looks like he faked his own disappearance
Ryan Borgwardt, 45, went missing on August 12 during a kayaking trip to Green Lake, Wisconsin
The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday
Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US
Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US
A Wisconsin father-of-three who vanished during a kayaking trip faked his disappearance and fled to Europe, local authorities announced.
Ryan Borgwardt, 45, was reported missing by his family on August 12 when he didn’t return home from his trip to Green Lake.
When the authorities responded to Dodge Memorial Park, they found Borgwardt’s vehicle and trailer parked in the lot and a capsized kayak in the western part of the lake where the water is around 220 feet deep, according to the Green Lake County Sheriff‘s Office.
Fisherman found Borgwardt’s fishing rod in the same lake, as well as his tackle box which contained a wallet, keys and a license.
His wife, who he had last had contact with on August 11, feared he had drowned.
But, in a bizarre twist, it’s believed that the father-of-three staged the accident and then fled the country for Europe, Green Lake County Sheriff Mark Podoll said during a press conference Friday afternoon.
In the update, that comes following a 54-day search for Borgwardt, officials say that while searching his electronic devices for clues, they discovered that before Borgwardt went on his kayaking trip, he had been communicating with a woman from Uzbekistan online, had opened a new bank account, obtained a new passport before leaving his original one at home, and then wiped his computer.
Officials also found that the missing father’s name had been checked by law enforcement in Canada the day after he was reported missing.
Borgwardt’s alleged plan to leave his family was at least seven months in the making, according to the digital trail, officials said, revealing that it started when Borgwardt purchased a $375,000 life insurance policy.
Search efforts for Borgwardt have officially ended, but Sheriff Podoll offered an emotional plea for the man to return home to his family.
“Ryan, if you are viewing this, I plead that you contact us or contact your family,” Sheriff Podoll said.
“We understand that things can happen, but there’s a family that wants their daddy back.”