Authorities confirmed Thursday that a Wisconsin man who staged his own death and left a lengthy trail of technological breadcrumbs across the US, Canada, and Europe is still alive.
Ryan Borgwardt, a married father of two who was reported missing in August and now seems to be in Uzbekistan, has been contacted by deputies from the Green Lake County Sheriff’s Office, according to officials.
A video discussion between the department and Borgwardt, who was wearing an orange t-shirt and reassured everyone that he was fine, was played by the sheriff.
Telling the camera, “Good evening, it’s Ryan Borgwardt,” “Today is November 11; it is roughly 10 a.m. for you all. My apartment is where I am. I have no issues and am safe and secure.
Green Lake County Sheriff Mark Podoll told reporters that Borgwardt went out onto Green Lake, threw his phone into the lake, and returned to shore using a “child-sized” inflatable boat.
According to Podoll, Borgwardt left an electric bike on beach and rode it to Madison before getting on a bus to Detroit, traveling across Canada, and finally boarding a plane.
According to the sheriff, his department is attempting to persuade Borgwardt to come back to the United States. Investigators claimed Borgwardt was not being kept against his will, but they did not elaborate on why he traveled to Uzbekistan.
“Our concern has been that he safely gets back to U.S. soil,” said Podoll. “He must go back to his kids at home. He is free to decide whether or not to come back, and I believe the message is pretty clear.”
The sheriff didn’t elaborate on the problems Borgwardt might have been having in the US that led to this odd action.
“In our communications, we are expressing the importance of his decision to return home and clean up the mess he has created,” said Podoll.
Sheriffs discovered a capsized kayak, the man’s car, and his trailer parked in Dodge Memorial County Park after Borgwardt vanished on August 12.
No remnants or other evidence of Borgwardt’s fate were found despite a thorough air and marine search of the area. However, a global electronic trail quickly surfaced, suggesting he was still alive and across the Atlantic.
According to earlier reports, investigators discovered that he had opened a foreign bank account, altered his email address, spoken with an Uzbek woman, and had Canadian law enforcement run his passport on August 13.
Sheriff Podoll could not rule out the possibility that Borgwardt could avoid criminal charges if he simply returned home, even if a lot of personnel was used to search for him.
“We have been continuing to contact the family members regarding our communication with Ryan,” he stated. “Warrants have not yet been issued. We think that if Ryan cooperates and chooses to go home soon, warrants won’t be required.”
Officials are hoping that the impending Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays would encourage Borgwardt to return home.
“We keep pulling at his heartstrings,” Podoll remarked. “We will not surrender. He needs to get home to his children, so we want to go on.”
Podoll begged Borgwardt to bring him back to his family, his voice choking with grief.
The sheriff remarked, “I got one more thing to say,” “Christmas is coming, and what better gift he could give his kids is to be there for Christmas.”
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