GREEN LAKE COUNTY — The Green Lake County Sheriff’s Office shared a dramatic twist in the search for a missing kayaker.
Authorities said the 45-year-old from Watertown is believed to be alive and someplace in Europe.
Previous Coverage: https://www.tmj4.com/news/local-news/green-lake-sheriff-missing-kayaker-believed-to-be-alive-possibly-in-europe
Green Lake Sheriff Mark Podoll shared the update during a press conference Friday.
We don’t know where he is, but he is not in our lake,” said Sheriff Podoll.
Watch: Green Lake Co. Sheriff shares dramatic twist in the search for missing kayaker
The news comes following an extensive search involving U.S. Customs, the Department of Homeland Security, and the FBI.
An investigation found Borgwardt had a second passport, replaced a hard drive on his laptop, cleared browsers on the day of his disappearance, had inquiries about moving funds to foreign banks, purchased airline gift cards, took out a $375,000 life insurance policy, and was communicating with a woman in Uzbekistan, according to the Green Lake County Sheriff's Office.
Sheriff Podoll addressed how difficult it’s been for the family.
"I cannot imagine what she's going through, and they're going through; it's really hard, because one, they felt that the dad was drowned a day ago. They found out that he wasn’t,” said Sheriff Podoll.
It’s also been tough on the groups searching for Ryan, like Keith Cormican.
“It’s a little tough to swallow because it required a lot of expenses on this one,” said Cormican.
Cormican is the founder of Bruce’s Legacy, a nonprofit organization that specializes in water searches.
They’ve provided their skills in several situations, including the search for Sade Robinson in Milwaukee.
Additional Coverage: https://www.tmj4.com/news/milwaukee-county/sonar-boat-searches-lake-michigan-for-remains-of-sade-robinson
He said speculation started early on in the search.
“I’ve never searched this much, this area so thoroughly, and not come up with something,” said Cormican.
Cormican spent 23 days on the water, nearly half the time Ryan had been missing. He was there when the Borgwardt family found out about the new developments.
“They were very shocked, as you can imagine, so very heartwrenching to the family,” said Cormican.
The Green Lake Sheriff’s Office will now work to identify any and all crimes committed and anyone who assisted with those crimes. The sheriff said they will also pursue restitution for the expenses of the search that have been funded by taxpayers.
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