Man who faked death in Green Lake kayak accident headed back to court

The kayaker who faked his death in Green Lake and disappeared overseas last year will be returning to court next week.

45-year-old Ryan Borgwardt, facing one misdemeanor count of Obstructing an Officer, is set for a plea and sentencing hearing in Green Lake County court on Tuesday the 26th.

The charge comes from an incident that happened in August of 2024, when he set up a scene on Green Lake to make it appear he had drowned in a kayaking accident.

He did this by leaving behind his kayak, vehicle, and other personal items before using an e-bike to ride through the night to Madison where he got on a bus, and then a plane to move overseas to eastern Europe.

Local dive teams, drone operators, and private search teams looked for weeks but no sign of the man showed up. Then on October 7th, investigators found evidence that Borgwardt was still alive and faked his death and fled to eastern Europe. After weeks of being in contact with him, and urging him to come home to deal with his actions, Borgwardt came back and was taken into custody.

Borgwardt entered a plea of NOT GUILTY and bond was set at a $500.00 signature bond. The charge carries up to 9 months in jail and a $10,000 fine.