Ryan Borgwardt, a Wisconsin husband and father accused of faking his own death in a kayaking accident, is now in police custody, the local sheriff’s office announced.
Borgwardt is behind bars at the Green Lake County Jail pending an afternoon court appearance, according to the Victim Information and Notification Everyday system, which provides information for victims of crime, like a suspect’s jail custody status. No charges have yet been filed, but authorities have recommended several counts, including obstruction.
Green Lake County Sheriff Mark Podoll confirmed the news during a press conference on Wednesday, telling reporters Borgwardt “came back on his own” for his family.
Borgwardt was previously presumed dead after he failed to return from a kayaking trip on Green Lake in central Wisconsin. He was last heard from on Aug. 11 by way of text, telling his wife he was getting ready to return to shore.
His subsequent disappearance sparked a massive search effort spanning multiple agencies, including the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Bruce’s Legacy, and Green Lake County Sheriff’s Office boats. They used side-scan sonar and underwater drones, eventually locating his boat with the life jacket still attached.
The sheriff’s office has said the search for Borgwardt’s body, which lasted more than a month, cost at least $35,000.
Then, in early October, investigators learned Borgwardt’s name was searched by Canadian customs on Aug. 13, which is after he supposedly drowned in the lake. Weeks later, he finally spoke to law enforcement after authorities made contact with a Russian-speaking woman who connected them to the missing man.
No further details were provided about the woman.
While Borgwardt declined to commit to returning to Wisconsin at the time, he did admit to faking his death, citing “personal matters,” according to Podoll. He recalled for authorities how he traveled some 50 miles from his home in Watertown to Green Lake, where he flipped is kayak, dumped his phone and then paddled an inflatable boat to shore.
From there, he said he rode an electric bike about 70 miles to Madison, and then he took a bus to Detroit before boarding a bus to Canada, where got on a plane, according to the sheriff. Authorities believe he spent time in Europe in recent months, finally arriving back in Wisconsin on Tuesday.
With News Wire Services
