The Kayaker Fake Death That Fooled Wisconsin Is Now Funding a Better Way to Search

July 23, 2026
9:20 am

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The bizarre saga of Ryan Borgwardt’s staged drowning in Wisconsin’s Green Lake has taken an unexpected turn from tabloid fodder to public-safety upgrade. After the 45-year-old faked his own death—complete with an abandoned kayak and a fabricated suicide note—authorities spent weeks combing the water with outdated equipment before learning he had simply flown to Europe. When Borgwardt was finally extradited, the court ordered him to reimburse the state $9,000 for the fruitless search. Rather than let the money vanish into general coffers, the Wisconsin DNR earmarked it for a new towfish sonar system, a side-scan device that can map lake bottoms in high resolution and locate submerged objects far faster than the aging side-scan units previously available. For the firearms community, the episode is a reminder that search-and-rescue technology is often the same technology that keeps armed citizens safe on the water. Whether it’s a duck hunter whose boat capsizes at dawn, a competitive shooter whose gear slips overboard during a back-country float trip, or a family that encounters trouble on a remote stretch of river, the ability to locate a sunken vessel—or a submerged firearm—can mean the difference between a tragic mystery and a timely recovery. Upgraded sonar also aids game wardens in enforcing poaching laws, locating illegal bait stations, and recovering evidence after negligent discharges near waterways. In short, the same hardware that once hunted for Borgwardt’s ghost now strengthens the state’s capacity to protect lawful outdoorsmen and hold violators accountable. The deeper irony is that a man who tried to disappear has instead left behind a permanent improvement in Wisconsin’s aquatic search capability. It’s a small but tangible example of how restitution, when earmarked wisely, can convert an act of deception into a public good. For Second Amendment advocates who prize both individual responsibility and practical conservation tools, the purchase of the towfish is a modest victory: a better-equipped DNR means faster recoveries, stronger enforcement, and ultimately a safer environment for the millions of armed Wisconsinites who take to the state’s lakes and rivers each year.

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For the firearms community, the episode is a reminder that search-and-rescue technology is often the same technology that keeps armed citizens safe on the water. Whether it’s a duck hunter whose boat capsizes at dawn, a competitive shooter whose gear slips overboard during a back-country float trip, or a family that encounters trouble on a remote stretch of river, the ability to locate a sunken vessel—or a submerged firearm—can mean the difference between a tragic mystery and a timely recovery. Upgraded sonar also aids game wardens in enforcing poaching laws, locating illegal bait stations, and recovering evidence after negligent discharges near waterways. In short, the same hardware that once hunted for Borgwardt’s ghost now strengthens the state’s capacity to protect lawful outdoorsmen and hold violators accountable.

The deeper irony is that a man who tried to disappear has instead left behind a permanent improvement in Wisconsin’s aquatic search capability. It’s a small but tangible example of how restitution, when earmarked wisely, can convert an act of deception into a public good. For Second Amendment advocates who prize both individual responsibility and practical conservation tools, the purchase of the towfish is a modest victory: a better-equipped DNR means faster recoveries, stronger enforcement, and ultimately a safer environment for the millions of armed Wisconsinites who take to the state’s lakes and rivers each year.

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