**Wisconsin Man Fakes Drowning and Flees to Eastern Europe, Communicates Daily with Police**

A Wisconsin man, Ryan Borgwardt, who staged his drowning in Green Lake to abandon his wife and three children, has been in daily contact with police since Nov. 11. Borgwardt has provided details on how he managed to fake his death and flee to Eastern Europe but has not yet committed to returning to the United States, according to Green Lake County Sheriff Mark Podoll.

Sheriff Podoll shared that Borgwardt has been sending video messages via his phone. In one of the videos, Borgwardt is seen wearing an orange T-shirt, saying he is safe and secure. The video mostly showed the interior of an apartment with bare walls and a door. Borgwardt detailed his escape plan, explaining that he overturned his kayak, discarded his phone in the lake, and paddled an inflatable boat to shore. From there, he rode an electric bike to Madison, about 70 miles away, before taking a bus to Detroit and then traveling to Canada, from where he boarded a plane to Europe.

While authorities are in the process of verifying Borgwardt’s detailed account, Sheriff Podoll expressed relief that Borgwardt is alive. However, there is still uncertainty regarding his exact whereabouts in Eastern Europe. The sheriff noted that they are attempting to persuade Borgwardt to return home, especially with the impending holiday season, hoping that the prospect of reuniting with his children for Christmas might influence his decision.

Borgwardt’s disappearance was initially thought to be a tragic accident after his kayak was found overturned in Green Lake. The search, which lasted over 50 days, included numerous diving operations. A significant breakthrough in the case came when it was discovered that Borgwardt had obtained a new passport three months before his disappearance. This led investigators to believe that he had planned the whole act to escape to Uzbekistan, to meet a woman he had been in contact with online.

Further investigations revealed Borgwardt’s meticulous planning: his laptop's hard drive had been replaced, and all browser histories were cleared on the day he disappeared. Passport photos and communication with the woman in Uzbekistan were found during the digital analysis.

Although no formal charges have been filed against Borgwardt for obstructing the investigation, authorities are keeping communication lines open, hoping he might return voluntarily. Meanwhile, Borgwardt remains in an undisclosed location in Europe, maintaining contact through a Russian-speaking intermediary.