Eerie video goes viral after authorities say missing dad believed to have faked own death

Authorities respond to a viral video after they revealed a bombshell update in the search for a father-of-three who vanished on a fishing trip in the US.

A video of a married American man talking about going to Uzbekistan to find a woman has gone viral as investigators try to find a missing man who they believe faked his own death.

Social media sleuths were convinced the man in a TikTok video filmed in San Diego in June was missing father-of-three Ryan Borgwardt, but despite eerie similairites to the case, authorities say they have verified it is not him.

Mr Borgwardt disappeared on a fishing trip in August at Green Lake in the US state of Wisconsin.

The 45-year-old’s car was there, along with a capsized kayak. Fishing gear was also found with a wallet, keys and Mr Borgwardt’s licence. But a 54-day search did not uncover a body.

In a bombshell update on November 8, Green Lake County Sheriff Mark Podoll revealed why they believe Mr Borgwardt is possibly alive and not in the lake at all.

Mr Podoll shared Canadian authorities had ran Mr Borgwardt’s passport the day after he went missing, among other evidence.

“We found out that he moved funds to a foreign bank, changing [of] his email, and communication with a woman in Uzbekistan,” Mr Podoll said.

“He took out a $US375,000 [about $580,500] life insurance policy in January and he purchased airline [gift] cards.”

The bizarre twist has received global attention.

Missing kayaker Ryan Borgwardt is believed to have faked his own death.

In the viral TikTok video, a content creator who goes by The Authentic Alpha sat by the beach holding up a sign that read “ask me for free advice”. An unidentified man on a bike stopped to chat.

“Do I got to Uzbekistan or stay here?” the man asked.

The content creator pressed for more information to which he revealed he wanted to go “to meet a woman” despite being married.

The advice he was given was to have a discussion with his wife before he leaves the country.

The Green Lake County Sheriff’s Office said they were in contact with the interviewer and do not believe the man in the video is Mr Borgwardt.

“Thank you to all for alerting us of its existence. We have verified this is not Ryan by contacting people who know Ryan,” the sheriff’s office posted on Facebook.

Social media users have described the similarities between the video and the details of the case as “insane” and “crazy”. Some wondered whether there was a scam operating out of Uzbekistan.

Mr Podoll pleaded with Mr Borgwardt in his press conference to contact police or family.

He described the missing man’s wife as “one strong lady”.

Mr Podoll said the investigation was like a puzzle and while they had “many” pieces, there was still “a lot more pieces to find”.

He said they were looking into whether any crimes had been committed and wanted to pursue restitution for search expenses that were funded by the taxpayer.