A Wisconsin man who staged his own drowning to escape his family and meet a woman overseas has been jailed after admitting he obstructed the search for his body. Ryan Borgwardt, 45, pleaded no contest in Green Lake County Circuit Court and was sentenced on 26 Aug. to 89 days in jail—the same length of time he remained missing. Judge Mark Slate nearly doubled the 45-day sentence sought jointly by prosecutors and the defence, saying the longer term reflects the 89 days law-enforcement officers spent hunting for Borgwardt and should deter others from attempting similar hoaxes. Borgwardt also agreed to pay US$30,000 in restitution to cover part of the search costs incurred by the county sheriff’s office and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Investigators said Borgwardt overturned a kayak on Green Lake on 11 Aug. 2024, left identification in the water and used an inflatable raft and an e-bike to begin a multiday journey that took him by bus to Canada and then by plane to Paris and, ultimately, the country of Georgia. He communicated online with a woman from Uzbekistan and took out a US$375,000 life-insurance policy before disappearing, according to court filings. Authorities made contact with Borgwardt in November 2024 and persuaded him to surrender in December. Wisconsin law does not specifically criminalise faking one’s death; the obstruction count was the most serious charge available. Borgwardt, divorced since his return, told the court he "deeply regrets" the deception and the pain caused to his wife of 22 years and their three children.