Top 10 personal injury attorneys in new york city: vegas dimopoulos law,Injury Cases

In August 2024, the quiet life of a father of three in Wisconsin took a surreal turn. Ryan Borgwardt — a 45-year-old husband and father — embarked on what was meant to be an ordinary kayaking trip on Green Lake in Wisconsin. But by the following morning, he had vanished. What followed was a massive search, a shocking revelation of deception, and ultimately a sentence of 89 days of jail time for obstructing law enforcement.

This article explores the sequence of events, the legal outcomes, the human fallout, and the broader lessons behind one of the most unusual stories of the year.

The Disappearance: August 2024

On August 11, 2024, Ryan Borgwardt told his wife that he was heading out on a kayak trip at Green Lake, about 100 miles northwest of Milwaukee. When he didn’t return home, alarm bells rang.

Authorities soon found his car and trailer parked near a boat launch. His kayak was overturned in a section of the lake known for its depth — over 200 feet. His life jacket, fishing rod, and tackle box were discovered nearby, suggesting a tragic accident.

A large-scale search ensued. Dive teams, sonar equipment, cadaver dogs, drones, and volunteers joined forces. For days, the lake was combed thoroughly. The community hoped to recover his body — but it never surfaced. As days turned into weeks, investigators began to suspect something wasn’t adding up.

The Reveal — It Wasn’t a Tragedy, It Was a Plan

Eventually, investigators uncovered that Ryan Borgwardt hadn’t drowned at all — he had staged his own disappearance.

The evidence revealed careful planning. Months before he vanished, he had obtained a new passport and purchased a substantial life-insurance policy worth several hundred thousand dollars. He had been communicating online with a woman overseas and appeared to be preparing for a new life abroad.

On the day he disappeared, he set his plan into motion. He drove to the lake, launched his kayak, and then deliberately overturned it. He threw his phone and identification into the water, making it appear as if he’d drowned. Using a small inflatable raft stashed nearby, he paddled quietly to shore and hopped on an electric bicycle he had hidden in advance. From there, he rode dozens of miles to Madison, boarded a bus to Canada, and then flew overseas to meet the woman he’d been communicating with.

Investigators later said his entire plan depended on convincing the world he was dead — devastating his family and misleading an entire community in the process.

The Legal Journey: Return, Arrest, Plea, and Sentencing

Return and Charges

In November 2024, months after the disappearance, Borgwardt sent a video message to the Green Lake County Sheriff’s Office stating he was alive and safe. In December, he returned voluntarily to Wisconsin and surrendered to law enforcement.

He was charged with misdemeanor obstruction of an officer — a crime that involves misleading police or interfering with an investigation. While “faking one’s death” isn’t automatically a crime in itself, the deception, wasted resources, and false statements to authorities were sufficient for prosecution.

Plea and Sentencing

Prosecutors initially recommended a 45-day jail sentence and roughly $30,000 in restitution for the costs of the search. However, during the August 26, 2025 sentencing hearing, Judge Mark Slate doubled the jail time, handing down an 89-day sentence.

The number wasn’t arbitrary — it symbolized the 89 days Borgwardt was missing and obstructing law enforcement’s efforts. “He obstructed law enforcement for a total of 89 days,” the judge stated during sentencing.

In addition to the jail sentence, Borgwardt was ordered to pay more than $30,000 in restitution to cover the search and investiga