The Wisconsin man accused of faking his death in a kayaking accident has emerged alive after sending a video message to investigators.
Ryan Borgwardt, the 45-year-old father of three who authorities in Wisconsin believed faked his own death, confirmed he was alive, Green Lake County Sheriff Mark Podoll announced at a press conference on Thursday, though Podoll added he believed Borgwardt was still living outside of the United States.
Borgwardt went missing while kayaking on Green Lake in central Wisconsin in August. Authorities found his capsized kayak, life preserver in the lake—but failed to find his body.
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After combing the lake with divers for 54 days, the sheriff announced last week investigators believed he faked his own death.
On Thursday, Podoll said they had confirmation that Borgwardt was still alive.
“The great news is that we know that he is alive,” the sheriff said. “The bad news is, we do not know where Ryan exactly is, and he has not yet decided to return home.”
Podoll shared a short video Borgwardt recorded for investigators, confirming he was alive and well. “I’m in my apartment. I am safe, secure, no problem,” Borgwardt said in the short clip filmed on a phone. The footage showed few details of the apartment Borgwardt was staying in.
The sheriff said they were still in “daily communication” with the missing kayaker, and even pieced together how he managed to pull the disappearing act off.
According to Podoll, Borgwardt stashed an ebike near the boat launch before taking his kayak out onto Green Lake. He then overturned his kayak and dumped his phone in the lake, before using a “child-sized inflatable boat” to paddle to shore.
Once back on shore, Borgwardt then got on his ebike and traveled roughly 70 miles to Madison, Wisconsin, where he boarded a bus to Detroit, then another to cross the Canadian border.
Once inside Canada, he continued traveling to an airport before boarding a flight. “We do not know exactly where he’s at,” Podoll said. “We know that it’s some place in Eastern Europe.” Investigators previously said he had been in contact with a woman from Uzbekistan.
“He didn’t expect us to go more than two weeks in search of him,” Podoll said at Thursday’s press conference. “Well I hate to tell you, he picked the wrong sheriff and the wrong department.”
Borgwardt could face obstruction of justice charges once he is back on U.S. soil, the sheriff said. Authorities also want Borgwardt to pay up to $40,000 in restitution for the search and rescue mission in Green Lake.
