A Wisconsin man who went missing during a kayaking trip is believed to have faked his disappearance, police said.
Ryan Borgward, 45, was last seen in Green Lake, Wisconsin, according to the Green Lake County Sheriff's Office (GLCSO). He was the father of three children, WBAY News reported.
Green Lake County Sheriff Mark Podol said during a Nov. 8 press conference that deputies responded to a call on Aug. 12, 2024, regarding an individual who had not returned home.
Deputies found his car and trailer parked at Dodge Memorial Park, the sheriff's office said. Police later found an “overturned kayak” in the western part of the lake.
Podor said Ryan contacted his wife on Sunday night and told her on his cell phone that he would be “turning around soon and heading for the coast.”
Authorities said they conducted an extensive search of the lake. Two fishermen found a fishing rod that was identified by Borgwald's wife, and someone later found a tackle box containing Borgwald's wallet, keys and driver's license.
The search lasted 54 days, the sheriff said.
Analysis of a laptop provided by Borgwald's wife showed he was “somewhere in Europe,” he said in the video.
“We discovered that he had replaced the hard drive on his laptop. He had erased his browser on the day of his disappearance. He had sunk his laptop into the cloud on August 11,” Podor said. insisted. “He took a passport photo.''
The search for a missing kayaker in Wisconsin has taken a dramatic turn. read more: https://t.co/5k7Uv032OC pic.twitter.com/KUGIqwaWDL
— ABC 7 Chicago (@ABC7Chicago) November 13, 2024
The sheriff claimed Borgwald transferred funds to an international bank, exchanged emails and communicated with an Uzbek woman.
The sheriff said the man took out a $375,000 life insurance policy in January and also purchased an airline card.
Following these revelations, GLCSO concluded that Borgwald's body was not in the county's lake.
Authorities discovered in early October that Canadian law enforcement had entered Borgwald's name into a database the day after he was declared missing. According to To the Associated Press.
“Our goal is to identify the crimes committed by the individuals who aided and abetted this crime,” Podol said in the video.
Anyone who aided or abetted Ryan Borgward in his alleged crimes, whether knowingly or unintentionally, is encouraged to contact the GLCSO at (920) 294-4134 ext. 1162. (Related: Scary video of kayaker stalked by great white shark)
“I want to thank his family. I want to thank his wife,” Mr. Podor emphasized after thanking the members of his office.
“It's really hard because they felt like their father drowned. The day before they found out he wasn't,” he said of his children.
The Daily Caller called the GLCSO but did not receive a response as of press time.
