11/21/24 Missing Watertown Man Safe Not Ready to Come Home
21 November 2024 News
The 45-year-old Watertown man who faked his own death on Green Lake is safe and somewhere in Eastern Europe. During a press conference at the Green Lake County Sheriff’s Office this morning Sheriff Mark Podoll showed a video of Ryan Borgwardt in Ryan’s apartment on November 11th. The Sheriff said they were able to connect with a Russian speaking woman through information left on Ryan’s laptop and she got him to connect with the Sheriff’s Office. Ryan told Sheriff’s officials how he faked his death. He stashed an E-bike next to Green Lake and paddled out into the lake in his kayak He capsized his kayak, and used a child’s inflatable boat to paddle back to shore. From there he rode the E-bike to Madison, took a bus to Detroit, continued to Canada and boarded a plane heading out of the country. As for possible charges Sheriff Podoll says they are looking at obstructing due to the 56 day search of the lake. He did not speak to possible federal charges. Podoll estimated the search cost from $35,000 to $40,000 plus equipment expenses of about $7,000. That does not include costs for Bruce’s Legacy and divers. The Sheriff says their Chief Deputy Matt Vande Kolk has established a rapport with Ryan and they continue efforts to convince him to return to the country. The Sheriff ended saying, “What better gift to give his kids than being there with his kids on Christmas.”
To see the text of the Sheriff’s remarks click here.
Video taken by Ryan Borgwardt on November 11, 2024:
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