A Wisconsin father who disappeared during a fishing trip and was presumed dead is now believed to be alive and living in another country with a woman he met online.
Ryan Borgwardt, 45, was reported missing in August after he never returned from a fishing trip in Green Lake, Wisconsin. Rescue crews found his kayak, life jacket, water bottle, tackle box, and fishing pole in the water and began a search for him. After 54 days, authorities called off the search and assumed that Borgwardt had died.
As investigators looked into Borgwardt’s life, they uncovered evidence that he may be alive and living in Europe. Officials said that in the months before his fishing trip, Borgwardt ordered a new passport, transferred his money to a foreign bank account, took out a $375,000 life insurance policy, and purchased airline gift cards. He also changed his email and used it to talk with a woman in Uzbekistan.
Borgwardt’s passport was scanned by law enforcement officials in Canada one day after he was reported missing.
“Due to these discoveries of the new evidence, we were sure that Ryan was not in our lake,” Green Lake County Sheriff Mark Podoll told reporters.
“I want to thank the family; I want to thank his wife. That is one strong lady,” Podoll said. “Whenever we called on her, she always responded, and she gave everything that she could for us,” he said. “I cannot imagine what she’s going through and they’re going through.”
Podoll also had a message for Borgwardt.
“Ryan, if you are 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.”
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