MADISON, Wisconsin (AP) – Investigators say a Wisconsin man faked drowning so he could abandon his family and flee to Eastern Europe this summer.

Green Lake County Sheriff Mark Podoll said in a press release Friday that the Dodge County Sheriff’s Office notified his agency on Aug. 12 that Ryan Borgwardt of Watertown was missing after canoeing on Green Lake. Borgwardt’s wife said that he texted her at 22.49 on August 11 and told her that he was going to the shore.

Deputies found Borgwardt’s vehicle and trailer near the lake. They also found the overturned canoe with a life jacket on it in the lake, in an area where water runs more than 200 feet (60 meters) deep. A fisherman later discovered Borgwardt’s fishing rod.

Investigators claimed Borgwardt’s kayak capsized and he was not wearing a life jacket. The search for his body took more than 50 days and divers searched the lake many times.

Bruce’s Legacy, a nonprofit organization that specializes in rescuing drowning victims, searched an area of ​​nearly 1,500 acres (6 square kilometers), often in more than 100 feet of water, combing through hours of sonar data and images to no avail.

In early October, Podoll’s department learned that Canadian law enforcement had searched Borgwardt’s name in databases the day after she was reported missing. The news release did not say why they searched his name or offer further details about the circumstances.

Further investigation revealed that Borgwardt had reported his passport lost or stolen and received a new passport in May. The sheriff said in his statement that his family easily found his original passport.

Analysis of a laptop – the release did not specify who it was – revealed a digital trace that suggested Borgwardt was planning to travel to Europe and was trying to mislead investigators.

The laptop’s hard drive was replaced and the scanners were cleaned the day Borgwardt disappeared, Podoll said in the news release. Investigators found passport photos, questions about transferring money to foreign banks and communications with a woman from Uzbekistan. They also discovered that Borgwardt had taken out a $375,000 life insurance policy in January.

“At this time, we believe Ryan is alive and possibly in Eastern Europe,” Podoll said in the press release.

He added that his agency will continue to work with federal and international law enforcement to determine whether Borgwardt committed any crimes and whether anyone aided him. The sheriff also plans to cover the cost of the search.

Podoll did not immediately respond to a message left by The Associated Press on Tuesday seeking more details. Attempts to reach Borgwardt family members by phone were not successful.

Keith Cormican directs Bruce’s Legacy in honor of his brother Bruce, a Black River Falls firefighter who drowned while searching for a drowning victim in 1995. Cormican called the search for Borgwardt “discouraging” and said he could have used the time he spent searching for Borgwardt to help him. other families.

“You meet every species in the world, and I think this guy went to extremes by pretending to disappear, so this is a first,” Cormican said. “It certainly cost us a lot of pain, a lot of money, repairs and equipment. “I hope he comes forward soon so the family can move on.”

Authorities last January Extradited an elusive US fugitive The man, Nicholas Rossi, traveled from Scotland to Utah, where he was accused of two sexual assaults. Investigators believe he faked his own death and fled the United States to avoid charges. He was arrested in Scotland in 2021 after being identified while being treated for Covid-19 in a hospital in Glasgow.

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This story has been updated to correct the spelling of the sheriff’s last name as “Podoll” and “Borgwardt” throughout.