The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources used restitution ordered in a 2025 court case to buy a sonar device that officials say will strengthen water search-and-rescue operations.
According to the DNR, roughly $9,000 of the money recovered after a kayaker staged his death on Big Green Lake in August 2024 went toward purchasing a towfish sonar. The restitution came as part of a Green Lake County Circuit Court ruling that required the individual to repay the agency for staff time spent in the search.
What changed for residents
The new towfish unit expands the DNR’s ability to locate people and evidence underwater during emergency responses. The agency said the device has been used in four missions and helped find two missing people. Officials framed the purchase as a direct improvement to public safety and resource protection.
"The towfish unit is a vital tool to our program that will assist in bringing closure to families and communities when tragedy strikes," the DNR said.
Background on the case
In August 2024, the DNR and other agencies searched Big Green Lake after the kayaker reported a fatality. Two months later, investigators determined that the kayaker, identified in court records as Ryan Borgwardt, had fled the country and was not deceased. Authorities located him in Europe and ultimately secured his return to the United States. A court ordered restitution to compensate the DNR for about 350 hours of staff time devoted to the search.
Why the towfish matters
Towfish sonar is towed behind a boat and sends sound pulses to map the water column and lakebed, helping search teams detect submerged objects and locate people beneath the surface. The DNR said the unit will be used in searches for truly missing persons and to support investigations that threaten natural resources or public safety.
- Restitution source: Court-ordered repayment tied to search costs from staged disappearance.
- Amount used for equipment: About $9,000.
- Operational use so far: Four missions, two people found.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Staff hours billed | ~350 hours |
| Equipment purchased | Towfish sonar unit |
| Funds spent | About $9,000 |
| Missions using unit | 4 |
| People found | 2 |
The DNR did not provide additional specifics about the make or model of the towfish unit or other planned purchases funded by the restitution. Agency officials said the device will remain part of their emergency-response inventory to aid families and communities during water-related tragedies.
Residents with questions about the search or the DNR’s equipment can contact the department through its public information channels. The purchase illustrates how restitution recovered in criminal cases can be redirected to restore agency capacity after resource-intensive emergency responses.
— Brooke Steiner, Wisconsin Correspondent
