Investigators in Wisconsin believe a kayaker missing for months faked his death and moved to eastern Europe.Photo by Postmedia file

Officials suspect missing Wisconsin kayaker faked his death and moved to Europe

Police say Ryan Borgwardt left digital trail showing he intended to disappear

by · National Post

A Wisconsin man apparently faked his own drowning this summer so he could abandon his family and flee to eastern Europe, investigators say.

Green Lake County Sheriff Mark Podell said in a news release Friday that the Dodge County Sheriff’s Office informed his agency on Aug. 12 that Ryan Borgwardt of Watertown had gone missing after he went kayaking on Green Lake. Borgwardt’s wife said that he texted her at 10:49 p.m. on Aug. 11 saying he was heading to shore.