Runaway Dad: Kayaker Accused of Faking Death at a Wisconsin Lake Resurfaces in Europe

Like many other locals who make it through brutal Wisconsin winters, the Borgwardt family looked forward to summer and spending time outdoors. 

In the summer months, Ryan Borgwardt, 44, who owns a woodworking company, his wife Emily Borgwardt, 44, a first-grade teacher, and their three teenaged children, Jeremiah, Levi and Norah, enjoyed themselves: They swam in the pool in the backyard of their Watertown home, they hung out together at barbecues and they kayaked in the state’s many pristine lakes.

On Aug. 11, Ryan left home and drove an hour north to go kayaking in Green Lake, the deepest body of water in Wisconsin. At 10:45 p.m., he texted Emily to let her know he was headed back to shore.

That was the last time she ever heard from him.

Worried, Emily called 911 the next morning to report her husband of 22 years missing. Green Lake County Sheriff’s deputies quickly found Ryan’s vehicle and trailer parked near Dodge Memorial Park on the southwest side of the lake.

They also found Ryan’s capsized kayak in a part of the lake that was 220-feet deep. A lake visitor found Ryan’s life jacket and tackle box with his keys and wallet still inside. 

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When a massive search and rescue operation failed to locate Ryan, he was presumed dead, leaving his wife and children grieving.

“While I will never understand why God had to take Ryan home way sooner than I would have liked, I will be forever at peace knowing that he’s enjoying heaven with his Savior,” Emily wrote in a heartfelt post on social media.

Authorities searched for Ryan’s remains until a shocking twist came that no one saw coming: On Nov. 8, Green Lake County Sheriff Mike Podoll announced at a press conference that Ryan was very much alive.

Podoll said he’d called off the search for Ryan in early October after he and his team learned that Canadian law enforcement had checked Ryan’s passport on Aug. 13 — the day after he vanished. “That was something we didn’t expect,” Podoll said. 

On Aug. 11, Podoll said, Borgwardt took photos of his passport, changed his email, moved money to a foreign bank — and had been communicating with a woman from Uzbekistan.

Authorities now say Ryan began plotting his disappearance as far back as January, when he took out a $375,000 insurance policy — possibly to take care of his family in his absence — and bought airline gift cards. 

Podoll ended his remarks on Nov. 8 with an emotional plea to the runaway dad. “Ryan, if you’re viewing this, I plead that you contact us or contact your family,” he said. “We understand that things can happen, but there’s a family that wants their daddy back.”

Then came another bombshell. At a second press conference on Nov. 21, Podoll revealed that his department had gotten in touch with Ryan on Nov. 11, with the help of a Russian-speaking woman, possibly the woman from Uzbekistan and that he is believed to be living in Eastern Europe.

Reaching Ryan “was a big turning point and our concern was that he was safe and well,” Podell said.

To prove to them this was actually him, the sheriff’s office asked him to provide a “proof of life video,” which the sheriff showed at the press conference. In the 24-second video Ryan appears to have filmed on his phone, he can be seen standing in front of a gray front door with a peephole and deadbolt, saying in hushed tones, “Good evening. It’s Ryan Borgwardt. Today is Nov. 11. It’s approximately 10 a.m. by you guys. I’m in my apartment. I am safe, secure, no problem.” 

Ryan also told the sheriff’s office how he pulled off his plan to disappear, Podoll said. After stashing an e-bike near the boat lodge, Ryan paddled his kayak and a child-sized inflatable boat out into the lake and overturned the kayak, the sheriff said.

He paddled the inflatable boat to shore and got on, got on his e-bike and rode through the night to Madison. There, he boarded a bus to Detroit and then to the Canadian border. He continued on the bus to “an airport and got on a plane,” Podoll said.

As for why Ryan chose to disappear so mysteriously, all the sheriff said was, “He just had personal matters going on, and he felt this was the right thing do.” 

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Ryan could face criminal charges and pay restitution of at least $40,000 if he returns to the U.S., Podoll noted.

Podoll said he admires Emily’s grace and strength throughout the bizarre ordeal. “That is one strong lady,” he said. “Whenever we called on her, she always responded and she gave everything that she could for us.”

As for the entire family, he said, “I cannot imagine what … they’re going through.’ Noting how supportive they are of each other, he added, “They continue to grow.”