Ryan Borgwardt, a missing kayaker from Wisconsin, has been found alive by authorities after he staged his own death. He has been in contact with officials but has not disclosed his exact whereabouts. Borgwardt confirmed his survival through a video message sent to the Green Lake County Sheriff’s Office, stating that he had faked his own death and has no intention of returning home. Authorities revealed Borgwardt’s elaborate plan, which involved staging his own death by kayaking, dumping his phone in the lake, and then traveling to the Canadian border via bus and plane. Borgwardt took out a $375,000 life insurance policy before disappearing, with his immediate family listed as beneficiaries. Authorities are considering obstruction charges against Borgwardt and seeking restitution for the costs incurred in the search for him. A digital forensic analysis of his laptop revealed his communication with a woman from Uzbekistan, financial transactions, and the purchase of a new life insurance policy. Despite authorities’ efforts to convince Borgwardt to return, his current location remains unknown. Borgwardt, a married man with three children, was reported missing in August after failing to return from a kayaking trip on Green Lake. An extensive search involving drones, sonar, divers, and K-9 teams did not locate him, but a shift in the investigation in October revealed suspicious activities on his laptop. Authorities are continuing their efforts to locate Borgwardt and determine his motives for faking his own death.
Photo credit
www.usatoday.com
Authorities have made contact with missing kayaker, Ryan Borgwardt
