Missing Wisconsin Kayaker Actually Faked His Death and Fled

By Bethanie Hestermann

Published

11/22/2024

An expensive, weeks-long search for a missing man after authorities found his overturned kayak in Green Lake, Wisconsin has officially ended after the man, Ryan Borgwardt, provided a “proof of life” video from his new digs in Eastern Europe. Borgwardt, a father of three, apparently faked his own death in the August kayak incident and fled the country.

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In a press conference, Wisconsin sheriff Mark Podoll says authorities are in contact with Borgwardt and have obtained details about how he faked his own death. Authorities suggest he overturned his boat, dropped his phone to the bottom of the lake, and ditched all of his belongings, including his car. He used a small inflatable raft to row himself back to shore, then rode an electric bike through the night to Madison, took a bus to Detroit, made his way into Canada from there, and then took a flight to Eastern Europe.

Borgwardt also did some other questionable things in the months and days before the faked kayaking incident, like taking out an insurance policy, getting a new passport, wiping his hard drive, putting money in a foreign bank, and—most questionable of all—talking to a woman online from Uzbekistan. In fact, authorities suggest it’s through this woman that they were able to track Borgwardt down.

Podoll says they don’t know exactly where Borgwardt is or whether he’ll return home.

See Inside Edition’s news report on the kayaker who faked his own death (including the proof-of-life video) here: