A Wisconsin kayaker who faked his own death is alive and in contact with authorities.

Wisconsin kayaker alive in Europe, authorities confirm

Authorities say the kayaker faked his death and today they announced he was alive and in Eastern Europe after abandoning his wife and children.

GREEN LAKE COUNTY, Wis. (FOX 9) – Wisconsin authorities say a man who faked his own death over the summer, abandoning his wife and children, is alive in Eastern Europe.

At a news conference Thursday, the Green Lake County Sheriff’s Office said it was in contact with him but did not know where he was.

Press conference updates

Authorities say they spoke with Ryan Borgwardt, the man accused of faking his own death, and showed a video of him that Borgwardt sent to the sheriff’s office.

The video shows Borgwardt in the room talking to the camera. He did not appear to be in any distress and authorities say they do not believe he is in any danger.

“The good news is he’s still alive,” Green Lake County Sheriff Mark Podell said. “The bad news is we don’t know exactly where he is and he hasn’t decided to come home yet.”

Wisconsin Sheriff: Kayaker Who Faked Death Lives (RAW)

The Green Lake County Sheriff’s Office held a news conference for a kayaker suspected of faking his own death.

Authorities say they contacted him through a woman who spoke Russian.

Podell says he wants to recoup the resources spent searching for Borgwardt, estimated at more than $40,000.

The sheriff added that no warrants have been issued for Borgwardt yet and that they would not be needed if he decides to return to his family.

The sheriff concluded the press conference by noting that Christmas was approaching and there would be no better gift for his children than him coming home.

How did this happen?

Photo of Ryan Borgwardt, who authorities believe faked his own death. (Attached)

Authorities say Borgwardt overturned his kayak and dropped his phone into the lake.

He then swam the flotation device to shore and rode an electric bike hidden nearby.

Investigators believe he drove “all night” to Madison, then took a bus to Detroit and then crossed the border into Canada, where he boarded a plane.

According to authorities, his exact location is still unknown.

Background

Missing WI kayaker may now be in Europe

Missing Wisconsin kayaker Ryan Borgwardt allegedly replaced his computer’s hard drive and took out a $300,000 life insurance policy before disappearing.

When Borgwardt did not return home from a fishing trip on Green Lake in Wisconsin in early August, local authorities believed he had drowned. But now they believe that he is alive and well, and not at the bottom of the lake.

Investigators found that Borgwardt had recently transferred money to a foreign bank account, replaced the hard drive on his computer and communicated with a woman in Uzbekistan.

He also obtained a new passport, which was verified by Canadian authorities the day after he was reported missing, and had taken out a $375,000 life insurance policy earlier that year, leading investigators to believe that Borgwardt faked his death and fled the country.

Investigators believe Borgwardt is in Eastern Europe, but do not know where exactly.

They say they won’t stop looking for him until he is found.

“This result exceeds my 18 and a half years as sheriff. Things didn’t work out the way we thought. It turned out completely differently,” Green Lake County Sheriff Mark Podell told FOX. 9.