the missing kayaker what happened to ryan borgwardt

Ryan Borgwardt is a Wisconsin man who faked his own death in August 2024 by staging a kayaking accident on Green Lake, then fled to Europe, only to later return, be charged, and serve jail time for obstructing the investigation.

How he disappeared

On August 11, 2024, Borgwardt, a 45‑year‑old carpenter and father of three from Watertown, Wisconsin, went to church with his wife and kids, then drove to Green Lake with his kayak and trailer. He intentionally capsized his kayak in the lake and left behind his phone, wallet, keys, and fishing gear to make it look like he had drowned.

Instead of dying, he used a small inflatable raft to paddle back to shore, then rode an e‑bike about 80 miles to Madison, took a bus to Detroit, crossed into Canada, and eventually flew to Eastern Europe (reportedly to Georgia). He had planned the disappearance carefully, researching how to fake his death and even buying a new passport earlier that year.

The search and investigation

When Borgwardt didn’t return home, his wife reported him missing on August 12, and authorities launched a major search on Green Lake. Over several weeks, they used sonar, underwater drones, divers, and cadaver dogs to scour the lake, but found only his overturned kayak and personal items.

The case remained a presumed drowning until October 2024, when Canadian authorities notified U.S. investigators that Borgwardt had entered Canada on August 13. This clue led police to dig deeper into his digital trail, where they found he had wiped his computer and browser history and had been in contact with a woman he met online in Ukraine.

What he did in Europe

Borgwardt spent about four months in Eastern Europe, where he had planned to start a new life, reportedly to be with the Ukrainian woman he had been communicating with online. During that time, his family and the community believed he was dead, and the search effort caused emotional and financial strain on his wife and children.

Sheriff Mark Podoll later said that Borgwardt had told investigators that “everything hinged on me dying in the lake” and that “the whole idea was to sell the death,” including taking out a life insurance policy to support his family after he was gone.

Return and legal consequences

In December 2024, Borgwardt voluntarily returned to the U.S. and turned himself in to authorities in Wisconsin. Because faking one’s own death is not a specific crime in Wisconsin, he was charged with a misdemeanor for obstructing an officer by planting false evidence to make police believe he had drowned.

In August 2025, he was sentenced to 89 days in jail (the same number of days he was gone) and ordered to pay about $30,000 in restitution to cover law enforcement costs from the search. He has since been released from jail.

Aftermath and family impact

The case drew national attention as a bizarre story of a man who staged his own death to escape his life and family, only to face legal and personal consequences upon returning. His wife and children had to go through the trauma of mourning him, only to learn he had deliberately faked his death and abandoned them.

Public discussion, especially in online forums and media like The Atlantic, has focused on the emotional toll on the family, the ethics of his actions, and the broader questions about marriage, mental health, and the lengths people go to when feeling trapped.

TL;DR
Ryan Borgwardt, a Wisconsin father, faked his own drowning in August 2024 by capsizing his kayak on Green Lake, then fled to Eastern Europe. After a months‑long search, authorities discovered he was alive and had entered Canada. He returned in December 2024, was charged with obstruction for faking his death, and in 2025 was sentenced to 89 days in jail plus restitution.