GREEN LAKE COUNTY (NBC 26) — The search for a missing kayaker in Green Lake County took a new and dramatic turn on Friday.
The Green Lake Sheriff's Office says it believes 44-year-old Ryan Borgwardt is alive and was someplace in Europe.
An investigation found Borgwardt had a second passport, cleared his laptop, took out a $375,000 life insurance policy and was communicating with a woman in Uzbekistan, according to the Green Lake Sheriff's department.
"Due to the discoveries of this evidence, we were sure that Ryan was not in our lake," Green Lake Sheriff Mark A Podoll said.
Borgwardt went missing on the lake in August, leading to an extensive search.
U.S. Customs, The Department of Homeland Security and the FBI were involved in the investigation, according to the Green Lake Sheriff's Office.
"Ryan, if you are viewing this I plead that you contact us or contact your family," the Podoll said. "We understand that things can happen, but there is a family that wants their daddy back."
The Green Lake County Sheriff's Office asks anyone with information in this case to contact them at 920-294-4059 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-GET THEM.
