US man who faked drowning to face charges after returning from Europe

Month-long search for Ryan Borgwardt after faked death in Wisconsin cost $35,000, law enforcement officials say.

A man in the United States who faked his drowning before fleeing to Eastern Europe has returned home and is set to face charges, according to authorities.

Ryan Borgwardt voluntarily returned to the US following the bizarre incident, Green Lake County Sheriff Mark Podoll told reporters on Wednesday, capping a months-long ordeal that began with his disappearance in August of this year.

“We can stand here feeling relieved,” Podoll said.

He added Borgwardt had voluntarily returned home, likely motivated by his family, but provided few further details of what Borgwardt had done during his time in Europe or even what country he had been residing in.

While Borgwardt had not been facing any criminal charges prior to his disappearance, he will likely be charged with “obstruction” of the law enforcement search to find him, Podoll said.

It was not immediately clear what other charges he would face.

Borgwardt had last been seen in his home state of Wisconsin in August. He had been travelling to the city of Green Lake to go kayaking.

His vehicle and trailer were later found near the lake, which is about 200 feet (61 metres) deep. His kayak was found in the water and his fishing rod was later recovered.

The search for his body stretched for more than 50 days, with divers repeatedly searching the city’s deep lake. The effort cost at least $35,000.

Several clues led investigators to believe Borgwardt had fled the country, possibly to meet a woman in Uzbekistan that he had met online.

Investigators eventually made contact with him in early November, but struggled to coax him to return to the US.

Before landing in the US on Tuesday, Borgwardt had told investigators he fled the country due to “personal matters”.

He recounted that he had overturned his kayak on the lake and ditched his phone before paddling an inflatable boat to shore.

He said he chose Green Lake because it is Wisconsin’s deepest.

He then rode an electric bike to Madison, travelling by bus to Detroit and then Canada, where he boarded a plane.

Police had previously said they were still verifying Borgwardt’s version of events.