A MARRIED dad shamelessly tried to fake his own death on a kayaking trip before fleeing to Georgia to be with his mistress.

Ryan Borgwardt, 45, from Wisconsin, was sentenced in court on Tuesday for the elaborate plot he executed last summer.

Borgwardt pleaded no contest and was found guilty of misdemeanour obstruction of an officer, according to local station WMTV 15.

Judge Mark Slate sentenced the dad-of-three to 89 days in the Green Lake County Jail – deliberately matching the number of days between when Borgwardt was reported missing and when he finally contacted the Sheriff’s Office.

“I deeply regret the actions that I did that night and all the pain I caused my family and my friends,” Borgwardt said in court.

Attorney Gerise LaSpisa described Borgwardt’s plot to flee the country as “selfish”.

She said: “He believed that Green Lake’s great depth would mean that a body would not surface.”

LaSpisa continued: “According to the defendant, his entire plan to fake his death, to devastate his family in order to serve his own selfish desire, hinged on him dying in the lake and selling his death to the world. His words.

“What defendant did not count on was the great concern and dedication of the Green Lake County community and the dogged resolve of our law enforcement.”

The judge also ordered him to pay $30,000 in costs to the Green Lake County Sheriff’s Office and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources to cover the costs of the manhunt launched after his disappearance on August 11, 2024.

It was only in October – after spending 54 days looking for Borgwardt – that police uncovered the truth.

Officers discovered that he had crossed into Canada a few days after disappearing.

They also found he had been communicating with a Russian-speaking Uzbek woman – even before obtaining a new passport and taking out a $375,000 life insurance policy in January.

Authorities revealed on November 8 that they believe he deliberately flipped his kayak – throwing his phone and belongings in the water – before paddling to land on an inflatable boat.

He then reportedly rode an e-bike overnight over 50 miles to the city of Madison.

When police contacted Borgwardt in November, he sent a video saying: “I am safe, secure, no problems.”

His family had had no contact with him since his disappearance.

The Sheriff’s Office has been supporting the devastated family.

“I can’t compare their situation to anything I have ever experienced in law enforcement before, I don’t have any reference,” Green Lake County Chief Deputy Sheriff Matthew Vandekolk said in November.

Borgwardt told authorities he faked his death due to “personal matters”, according to Sheriff Mark Podoll.

He explained that he picked Green Lake because he knew it was the deepest in the state.

Borgwardt tried to cover his tracks by leaving his original passport at home, removing his laptop hard drive and destroying his search history, police said.

He also transferred money to a foreign bank account and changed details linked to his accounts, they added.

Sheriff Podoll said he “could not be more proud” after Borgwardt was brought to justice thanks to the hard work of officers.