Green Lake missing kayaker Ryan Borgwardt alive; diver that searched responds
GREEN LAKE, Wis. - The Green Lake County Sheriff's Office on Thursday, Nov. 21, announced it has made contact with Ryan Borgwardt, the kayaker initially thought to have gone missing this summer but later believed to have faked his own death.
The search for Borgwardt lasted 54 days and involved divers, sonar, drones and a lot of manpower. Green Lake County Sheriff Mark Podoll said it cost upwards of $40,000.
Charlie DeGroot is used to difficult dives. But this one might have been the toughest. Not just because of what he was looking for.
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"We do a lot of technical dives, getting into really deep water," DeGroot said. "It’s kind of disappointing to have all these areas of interest and then coming up holding your hands up in the air. There’s nothing there."
Charlie DeGroot
DeGroot and a fellow diver volunteered in August to help the sheriff's office search for Borgwardt.
Authorities thought the 45-year-old's kayak overturned and that he drowned. A team searched the water for nearly two months.
Green Lake missing kayaker Ryan Borgwardt contacted: sheriff
The Green Lake County Sheriff's Office on Thursday announced it has made contact with Ryan Borgwardt, the kayaker believed to have faked his own death.
"Did not find anything other than normal lake trash. Like a hat, a couple of other things like that, not related to Ryan, of course," DeGroot said.
Investigators later learned why, saying the husband and father of three faked his own death and left the country.
At a news conference Thursday, the sheriff's office shared video of Borgwardt, saying investigators have been in daily contact with the man, who admitted to staging his own drowning, crossing over to Canada and catching a flight overseas.
Charlie DeGroot
Authorities say he is in Europe, but don't know exactly where.
"I'm in my apartment, I am safe, secure, no problem," Borgwardt told officials.
DeGroot said this outcome is the deep dive he never expected.
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"I don’t regret at all the time that we put in, that’s what I would do anyway," he said. "It’s just unfortunate that it’s a complete waste."
Will Borgwardt be charged?
Mark Podoll said Borgwardt faces an obstructing charge for staging his death. He cannot comment on federal charges that may or may not be filed. Green Lake County will be seeking restitution between $35,000 and $40,000 – not including dive expenses.
No warrants have been issued yet.
The Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation, Federal Bureau of Investigation and other agencies have assisted the Green Lake County Sheriff's Office in the investigation. Bruce's Legacy and Charlie DeGroot assisted with dive efforts.
Disappearance plan
Podoll said Borgwardt told investigators his plan. The sheriff's office is still working to verify Borgwardt's statements.
Borgwardt claimed he stashed an e-bike near the Green Lake boat launch and paddled his kayak and a child-sized inflatable boat onto the lake. He overturned the kayak, dumped his phone in the water and paddled the inflatable boat to shore. He then got on the e-bike and rode through the night to Madison, where he got on a bus to Detroit and then the Canadian border. He rode the bus to an airport, where he got on a plane.
"We feel that this was Ryan's way that he could tell the entire country how he did it," Podoll said. "In our communications, we are expressing the importance of his decision to return home, clean up the mess that he created. Our primary concern has been that he safely gets back to U.S. soil.
"He needs to return home to his children. If he chooses not to return, it's on his own free will, and I think the message is very clear."
Further, the sheriff said Borgwardt told investigators he picked Green Lake because it is the deepest lake in Wisconsin.
"He didn't expect us to go more than two weeks in searching for him," Podoll said. "Well, I hate to tell you he picked the wrong sheriff and the wrong department."
Green Lake
Investigators previously learned Borgwardt obtained a second passport, cleared his hard drives and browser history and changed his banking information on the day of his disappearance. He also took out a $375,000 life insurance policy and purchased an airline gift card.
As to why Borgwardt tried to stage his death, the sheriff would only say he had a personal matter going on and that this was the "right thing" to do.