A Wisconsin man who went missing during a kayaking trip is now thought to have faked his disappearance and fled to Europe.
According to local authorities, Ryan Borgwardt, 45, was reported missing after he failed to return home from a trip to Green Lake, WI on Aug. 12.
His capsized kayak, life jacket, water bottle, tackle box and fishing pole were found in the water at Dodge Memorial Park where his car and trailer were also parked nearby.
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Emergency services searched the area for the father-of-three, but ultimately abandoned the operation after 54 days.
Now, Green Lake County Sheriff Mark Podoll says that they believe Borgwardt staged the accident and left his family.
“We do not know where he is. We know that he is not in our lake,” Podoll told reporters Friday.
Officers suspect Borgwardt is likely in Europe.
The father-of-three allegedly spent seven months planning to leave his family, beginning with him purchasing a $375,000 life insurance policy.
Podoll revealed that, while looking through his electronic devices for clues, authorities discovered Borgwardt had been talking to a woman from Uzbekistan online. He had also opened a new bank account, obtained a new passport, and wiped his computer before leaving for his kayaking excursion.
His new passport was run by law enforcement in Canada on Aug. 13, the day after his wife reported him missing.
Podoll urged Borgwardt to return home at a Friday press conference, saying “Ryan, if you are viewing this, I plead that you contact us or contact your family.”
“We understand that things can happen, but there’s a family that wants their daddy back,” he added.
