Ryan Borgwardt Missing Person – Authorities in Green Lake County, Wisconsin, announced Friday that missing kayaker Ryan Borgwardt, 45, who was reported missing in August, appears to have faked his own death. Sheriff Mark Podoll revealed this surprising update at a news conference, explaining that while Borgwardt’s personal items were found along the lake shore, there is now reason to believe he deliberately left the area and may have even left the country.
Borgwardt was first reported missing on August 12, 2024, when he failed to return home from a kayaking outing. A search was launched after his vehicle was found parked near Dodge Memorial County Park, on Green Lake’s southwest shore. During the search, authorities discovered Borgwardt’s kayak, life jacket, water bottle, fishing pole, and tackle box along the shore. These discoveries initially pointed to a possible tragic accident, leading search crews to comb the lake for Borgwardt’s body over the course of 54 days.
Despite extensive search efforts involving dive teams, sonar equipment, and drones, no body was found, raising questions about his actual whereabouts. Authorities grew suspicious as time passed without results, leading them to investigate other possible scenarios. Sheriff Podoll confirmed Friday that they now have reason to believe Borgwardt is not only alive but intentionally disappeared and left the area.
“We do not know where he is. We know that he is not in our lake,” Podoll stated. The investigation revealed clues suggesting Borgwardt may have staged the disappearance, leaving behind enough items to imply he had been in the lake while securing an escape route elsewhere. Though the motive behind Borgwardt’s alleged staged disappearance remains unclear, the sheriff’s office is continuing its investigation to determine his current location and any potential accomplices who may have assisted him. The case has drawn significant public attention, and local residents expressed shock and confusion over the turn of events.
