A Wisconsin man apparently faked his own drowning this summer so he could abandon his family and flee to eastern Europe, investigators say.
Green Lake County Sheriff Mark Podell said in a news release Friday that the Dodge County Sheriff’s Office informed his agency on Aug. 12 that Ryan Borgwardt of Watertown had gone missing after he went kayaking on Green Lake. Borgwardt’s wife said that he texted her at 10:49 p.m. on Aug. 11 saying he was heading to shore.
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Deputies located Borgwardt’s vehicle and trailer near the lake. They also found his overturned kayak with a life jacket attached to it on the lake, in an area where the waters run more than 200 feet (60 meters) deep. An angler later discovered Borgwardt’s fishing rod.
Investigators had speculated that Borgwardt’s kayak capsized and he didn’t have a life jacket. The search for his body went on for more than 50 days, with divers on several occasions exploring the lake.
Bruce’s Legacy, a nonprofit organization that specializes in recovering drowning victims, searched about 1,500 acres (6 square kilometers), often in more than 100 feet (30 meters) of water, and scoured hours of sonar data and images to no avail.
In early October, Podell’s department learned that Canadian law enforcement authorities had run Borgwardt’s name through their databases the day after he was reported missing. The news release did not say why they ran his name or offer any further details about the circumstances.
FULL STORY: https://edmontonjournal.com/news/world/wisconsin-kayaker-fake-death-europe
