New details revealed in missing man that faked death in Green Lake

The Green Lake County Sheriff’s Office has released new details regarding the Watertown man who faked his drowning in Green Lake August 11th, 2024.

During a press conference held Thursday, November 21, 2024,, authorities said that 44-year-old Ryan Borgwardt had stashed an electric bike near the boat launch where he said he planned to go fishing. He then went out on the lake in his kayak with a child sized inflatable boat he used to get back to shore once he purposefully overturned his kayak and dumped his phone out in the lake.

Borgwardt then rode the bike through the night to Madison where he boarded a bus to Detroit and then across the Canadian border where he then got on a plane, leaving North America.

Authorities stated that as of now, charges of obstructing would be filed against Borgwardt upon his return and he would be ordered to pay back expenses of 35 to 40 thousand dollars to the sheriff’s office that they occurred in equipment and lost wages while searching for Borgwardt when it was thought he had drown in Green Lake.

The sheriff’s office says that they are now in contact with Brogwardt on a near daily basis and continue to urge he return home to clean up his mess on his own. They say his exact whereabouts are not known.