A man in Wisconsin, US, who went missing following a drowning incident in August, has been found alive and is communicating with authorities. Eastern Europe. Ryan BorgwardMissing since August 11, contacted Green Lake County Sheriff’s Office On November 11. Borgward left his wife and three children to disappear.
Sheriff Mark Podol A video of Borgwert was released during a news conference, confirming that he is alive.
“The great news is that we know he’s alive and well,” Podol said. “The bad news is that we don’t know exactly where Ryan is, and he hasn’t decided to return home yet.”
The video featured Borgwert in an orange T-shirt, with a door and exposed walls briefly visible in the background. Borgward looked straight into the camera without smiling, apparently recording the video on his phone.
“I’m safe and secure, no problem,” Borgward said in the video. “I hope this works,” he added, speaking from what appeared to be an apartment.
Borgwert had not been heard from since Aug. 11, when he texted his wife around 11 a.m. and said he was going kayaking ashore. His car and trailer were later found near Green Lake, his overturned kayak and life jacket in water more than 200 feet (60 m) deep.
Borgwert reported to authorities that on the day of his disappearance, he traveled about 50 miles (80 kilometers) from his home in Watertown to Green Lake, where he capsized his kayak, discarded his phone in the lake and paddled an inflatable boat to shore. He chose Green Lake for its depth, as it is the deepest in Wisconsin.
After leaving the lake, Borgwert rode an electric bike about 70 miles (110 kilometers) overnight to Madison, took a bus to Detroit, and then flew to Canada, where he boarded a plane, according to the sheriff.
The disappearance triggered a search and rescue operation that lasted more than 50 days.
Sheriff Podol suggested Borgward’s actions were motivated by “personal matters” but declined to elaborate.
Initially, Borgwert’s disappearance was investigated as a possible drowning. However, later clues suggested that he had faked his death to meet a woman in Uzbekistan, a former Soviet republic. Investigators discovered that he had obtained a new passport three months before his disappearance.
The sheriff declined to comment on the woman’s identity.
In October, Canadian authorities flagged Borgwert’s name in their system a day after he was reported missing. Investigators discovered he had lost or stolen his passport and obtained a new one in May. Analysis of his laptop revealed plans to travel to Europe and attempts to mislead authorities. The hard drive was replaced, and the browsing data was wiped the day it disappeared. However, the investigators obtained passport photos, inquiries about money transfers to foreign banks and a conversation with a woman in Uzbekistan.
In January, Borgward took home $375,000 Life Insurance Policy For his family, the sheriff said. Using contact details from the laptop, authorities reached Borgward, connecting with a Russian-speaking woman. It is unclear if she is the same woman from Uzbekistan.
The sheriff indicated Borgward could face charges of obstructing an investigation into her disappearance, though no charges have yet been filed. Whether Borgward returns is up to his “free will,” Podol said.
While authorities are relieved that Borgward is safe, his exact location and plans remain unclear. Podol expressed hope that Borgwert would choose to return, especially with the holiday season approaching.
Borgward is reportedly worried about how the community will react if he returns. “He thought his plan would work, but it didn’t go as expected,” Podol said.
Podol speculated that Borgwert was supporting himself abroad, noting, “He’s a smart guy.”
The Green Lake County Sheriff’s Office continues to work with Borgward as the investigation unfolds.