GREEN LAKE (NBC 26) — The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources said restitution paid by Ryan Borgwardt, the Green Lake kayaker who faked his death, was used to purchase sonar equipment for emergency response and underwater recovery operations.
Borgwardt staged his death on Big Green Lake in August 2024 by overturning his kayak before using an inflatable raft to reach shore. He then used multiple forms of transportation to travel to Europe and meet a Ukrainian woman.
Borgwardt was sentenced to 89 days in jail, a symbolic number representing the time he was considered missing. He was also ordered to pay $30,000 related to search efforts. The DNR said Wednesday that about $9,000 of the restitution was used to purchase a towfish sonar unit capable of mapping lake bottoms to locate missing people, objects and hazards.
The DNR said the sonar system has already been used in four missions and helped locate two missing people. Officials said the technology improves underwater search efficiency while reducing risks to public safety divers.
