Wisconsin kayaker who faked his own death in custody upon returning to US, wife files for separation

A Wisconsin husband and father who faked his own death in a suspected kayaking accident has returned to the United States after fleeing to the European country of Georgia, authorities said Wednesday. Ryan Borgwardt, 45, of Watertown, was taken into custody on obstruction charges. His wife, who believed he was dead, has since filed for separation.

The Green Lake County Sheriff's Office said Borgwardt returned to the US on his own accord and surrendered himself to authorities. He faces up to nine months in prison and $10,000. Borgwardt was charged on Dec. 11 in Green Lake County Circuit Court with one count of obstructing an officer, which is a Class A misdemeanor, court documents show.

He entered a not guilty plea and was released by Judge Mark Slate on a $500 bond, ABC News reported.

Borgwardt was reported missing on August 12 when he failed to return home from a kayaking trip the day prior. Law enforcement officers searched for his body for 54 days before calling the search off, which involved underwater drones, towable submersible sonar, dives, and three K-9 cadaver teams.

Authorities later uncovered evidence that Borgwardt planned to fake his own death following a forensic analysis of Borgwardt's laptop. His plan was foiled after his name was checked by Canadian law enforcement, revealing he had a second passport.

Court documents show that his plan included stashing an eBike near the boat launch, paddling a kayak and a child-sized inflatable boat out into the lake, overturning the kayak and dumping his phone in the lake, paddling the inflatable boat to shore and then riding the eBike through the night to Madison, boarding a bus in Madison en route to Detroit, and then heading to the Canadian border.

Green Lake County Sheriff Mark Podoll told reporters at a press conference that the agency had been in contact with Borgwardt since Nov. 11. Authorities said Borgwardt fled the US for the country of Georgia to meet an adult female. He reportedly spent "a great deal of time researching how to disappear" before he staged his death, according to court documents.

Borgwardt will appear back in court on Jan. 13.