GREEN LAKE COUNTY — The Green Lake County Sheriff’s Office has shared a dramatic twist in the search for a missing kayaker.

Authorities said the 45-year-old man from Watertown is believed to be alive and somewhere in Europe.

Previous coverage: https://www.tmj4.com/news/local-news/green-lake-sheriff-missing-kayaker-believed-to-be-alive-possibly-in-europe

Green Lake Sheriff Mark Podoll shared the update during a news conference Friday.

We don’t know where he is, but he’s not in our lake,” Sheriff Podoll said.

Watch: Green Lake Co. Sheriff Shares Dramatic Twist in Search for Missing Kayaker

Sheriff: A missing kayaker faked a disappearance

The news follows an extensive search involving U.S. Customs, the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI.

An investigation revealed that Borgwardt had a second passport, replaced a hard drive on his laptop, cleared browsers on the day of his disappearance, inquired about transferring funds to foreign banks, purchased credit cards- gifts from airlines, had purchased a $375,000 life insurance policy and was communicating with a woman in Uzbekistan, according to the Green Lake County Sheriff’s Office.

Sheriff Podoll explained how difficult this has been for the family.

“I can’t imagine what she’s going through, and they’re going through; it’s really hard, because first of all, they felt like the father had drowned a day ago. They found out that this was not the case,” Sheriff Podoll said.

It’s also been difficult for groups looking for Ryan, like Keith Cormican.

“It’s a little hard to swallow because it required a lot of expense,” Cormican said.

Cormican is the founder of Bruce’s Legacy, a nonprofit organization specializing in water research.

They provided their skills in several situations, including the search for Sade Robinson in Milwaukee.

Additional coverage: https://www.tmj4.com/news/milwaukee-county/sonar-boat-searches-lake-michigan-for-remains-of-sade-robinson

He said speculation began when the search began.

“I’ve never searched this area so thoroughly without finding something,” Cormican said.

Cormican spent 23 days on the water, almost half the time Ryan was missing. He was there when the Borgwardt family discovered the new developments.

“They were very shocked, as you can imagine, it’s very heartbreaking for the family,” Cormican said.

The Green Lake Sheriff’s Office will now work to identify all crimes committed and anyone who contributed to these crimes. The sheriff said he will also seek reimbursement for taxpayer-funded search expenses.

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