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U.S.|Man Who Faked Kayaking Death Says in Video He’s ‘Safe’
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/21/us/ryan-bogwardt-sheriff-update-faked-death.html
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But the man, Ryan Borgwardt, who is believed to be in Eastern Europe and has been communicating with the authorities, has not committed to returning home, officials said.
Nov. 21, 2024, 2:26 p.m. ET
A Wisconsin man who faked his own death and left his family three months ago after communicating with a woman in Uzbekistan has been in regular contact with the authorities and sent them a video this month, saying he was “safe” and “secure.”
Mark A. Podoll, the Green Lake County sheriff, played the video of the man, Ryan Borgwardt, of Watertown, Wis., at a news conference on Thursday. In the 24-second clip, Mr. Borgwardt is seen recording himself in what looks like a spartan apartment with white walls and a gray door.
“Good evening, it’s Ryan Borgwardt,” he says in a quiet voice. “Today is Nov. 11. It’s approximately 10 a.m. by you guys. I’m in my apartment. I am safe, secure, no problem. I hope this works.”
Sheriff Podoll said the authorities did not know exactly where Mr. Borgwardt was, but knew it was someplace in Eastern Europe. He said that investigators were in near-daily contact with him and were urging him to come home to his family and to “clean up the mess that he has created.”
But Mr. Borgwardt, who left behind a wife and three children, has not committed to returning home, Sheriff Podoll said.
“We keep pulling at his heartstrings,” Sheriff Podoll said, adding: “We’re not going to give up. We’re going to continue because he needs to come home to his kids.”
