WILD GOOSE CHASE

Kayaker Suspected of Faking His Death Is Now in Police Custody

Ryan Borgwardt confirmed in November that he was alive and well—and it looks like he could now be back in the U.S.

A father of three accused of faking his own death in a kayaking accident and fleeing to Eastern Europe is now in police custody, online records show.

The Victim Information and Notification Everyday (VINE) system, which allows crime victims across the country to obtain timely and reliable information about criminal proceedings, shows that Ryan Borgwardt, 45, was booked into the Green Lake County Jail in Wisconsin on Tuesday afternoon, according to the Associated Press.

Borgwardt made headlines when he went missing while kayaking on Green Lake in central Wisconsin in August. Authorities found his capsized kayak and life preserver in the lake—but failed to find his body.

After combing the lake with divers for 54 days, the sheriff announced that investigators believed he faked his own death.

In mid-November, Borgwardt recorded a video for investigators, confirming he was alive and well, but police still didn’t know where he was. It later became clear he was in Eastern Europe.

Now it appears he is being held back home in the U.S. No charges were listed against Borgwardt. However, the Green Lake County Sheriff’s Office previously said Borgwardt could face an obstruction charge. The force is seeking $35,000 to $40,000 in restitution for eight weeks of search expenses.

The VINE website says he was booked on Tuesday at 4:56 p.m.

The Green Lake County Sheriff’s Office said Tuesday in a social media post that a news conference would be held Wednesday morning, live-streamed on its Facebook page.

METICULOUS PLAN

Wisconsin Dad Suspected of Faking Death Emerges in New Video

Zachary Folk

Borgwardt’s case echoes that of “Canoe Man” John Darwin, a British man who turned up alive in December 2007, five and a half years after he was believed to have died in a canoeing accident.

The former teacher and prison officer was charged with fraud alongside his wife. It was alleged that the case was an elaborate insurance scheme so they could pay off their mortgage. The pair were sentenced to more than six years in jail in 2008.

Borgwardt reportedly told authorities last month that he faked his death because of “personal matters.”

See more of our coverage in your search results.

ADD THE DAILY BEAST ON GOOGLE

Leigh KimminsReporter

Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here.