Ryan Borgwardt: Kayaker who faked death sends video to police

Police say that after sinking his kayak and cell phone in the lake, he paddled a small child-sized boat to shore where he had stashed an E-bike. He cycled overnight to Madison, Wisconsin, then boarded a bus to Detroit and got on a plane in Canada to an unknown location.

“We are continuing to verify this information, trying to put the dots together,” Podoll said. “But we feel that this was Ryan’s way that he could tell the entire country how he did it.”

He is believed to have acted alone, he said. He added that Mr Borgwardt has not had any contact with his family since he left.

He left behind three children and his wife. In the days before his departure, authorities found he had taken out a $375,000 (£297,875) life insurance policy, had transferred funds to a foreign bank account, photographed his new passport, and altered his email address.

Podoll said that there are currently no criminal charges pending against Mr Borgwardt, but that police say he owes them $40,000 (£32,000) for the cost of their search.

At the end of his conference, the sheriff became emotional, saying that his children will be without their father during the holiday season.

“Christmas is coming up,” he said. “And what better a gift to give those kids than to be there for Christmas.”