The family of a man who is thought to have left the country, leaving behind his wife and children, have issued a heartfelt plea for him to make contact.
In an emotional appeal during a press conference, Sheriff Mark Podoll called out to missing Ryan Borgwardt, 45, saying: “Ryan, if you are viewing this, I plead that you contact us or contact your family. We understand that things can happen, but there’s a family that wants their daddy back. They thought that their dad was drowned. A day ago, they found out that he wasn’t.”
He also took the opportunity to commend the man’s family, especially his wife: “I want to thank the family, I want to thank his wife. That is one strong lady,” he stated, “Whenever we called on her, she always responded and she gave everything she could for us. I cannot imagine what she’s going through, and they’re going through.”
This comes in the wake of an extensive search operation that commenced after Ryan was reported missing by his kin on August 12 following a kayaking excursion to Green Lake. His disappearance had left his family in dread, fearing he may have drowned.
An intense eight-week search by police and local volunteers ensued with no sign of Borgwardt, until, the Green Lake County Sheriff’s Office relayed during a press event on Friday afternoon. An overturned kayak and life jacket believed to be Borgwardt’s were discovered, as well as his vehicle near Dodge Memorial Park, reports the Mirror US.
A fisherman later discovered a fishing rod that the missing man’s wife recognised as his, and additional personal items – his wallet and keys – were also found. However, investigators now suspect that Borgwardt concocted an unusual scheme to feign his own death and escape to Europe.
They claim they stumbled upon a new lead in the search for the missing man when they started examining his computers for hints and broadened their search. It was then they discovered that Canadian law enforcement had cross-referenced him the day after he was reported missing.
They also discovered that the supposedly missing man had been chatting with a woman from Uzbekistan online, had set up a brand new bank account, even obtained a new passport while leaving his original one at home before his kayaking trip, and cleared his computer. Despite his attempts to conceal his actions, his digital footprint remained.
Investigators claim they have unearthed a plan seven months in the making, dating back to when he first bought a $375,000 life insurance policy. Since this discovery, all search efforts have ceased, but investigators believe he has since escaped to Europe and are urging him to return to his family.