GREEN LAKE, Wis. (AP) — A Wisconsin man who he faked his own drowning this summer and left his wife and three children was located in Eastern Europe and communicates with law enforcement, but has not committed to return home, authorities said.

Green Lake County Sheriff Mark Podoll said Thursday that Ryan Borgwardt began communicating with authorities on Nov. 11 after they found him. The sheriff showed a video that Borgwardt sent to police that day from an undisclosed location.

The sheriff said no criminal charges have been filed and he doesn’t think they will be necessary while authorities “continue to pull at his heartstrings” to come home.

Here are some things to know about Borgwardt and his disappearance:

who is he

Borgwardt, who is in his late 40s, lived with his wife and children in Watertown, a city of about 23,000 northwest of Milwaukee known for its German heritage, parochial schools and two dams on the Rock River.

When did it disappear?

The sheriff said his department was notified Aug. 12 that Borgwardt had not been heard from since the previous day, when he traveled about 50 miles (80 kilometers) from his home to Green Lake to go kayaking. Borgwardt’s wife said he texted her at 10:49 p.m. to say he was on his way to shore.

How was the search performed?

Deputies found Borgwardt’s vehicle and trailer near Green Lake. His kayak was discovered on the lake, overturned and with a life jacket attached, in an area where the water is about 200 feet (60 meters) deep. A fisherman later found Borgwardt’s fishing rod. The search for his body continued for more than 50 days, with divers scouring the lake several times.

How did the authorities find Borgwardt?

Clues — including that he reported his passport lost or stolen and obtained a new one months before he disappeared — led investigators to speculate that he faked drowning to go meet a woman he had communicated with in Uzbekistan, a former Soviet republic in Central Asia. Podoll declined to comment when asked what he knew about the woman, but said law enforcement contacted Borgwardt “through a woman who spoke Russian.”

His identity was confirmed by asking him questions the sheriff said only Borgwardt would know and through a video he made and sent on Nov. 11. Since then, he has spoken with someone from the sheriff’s department almost daily. However, Podoll said Thursday that Borgwardt’s exact location in Eastern Europe was unknown.

What was in the video he sent to law enforcement?

Wearing an orange T-shirt, an unsmiling Borgwardt looks directly at the camera, apparently filmed with a mobile phone. Borgwardt says he’s in his apartment and briefly pans the camera, but generally shows a door and bare walls. “I’m safe and secure, no problem,” he says.

How did he fake his death?

Borgwardt told authorities he flipped his kayak onto the lake, threw his phone into it and paddled an inflatable boat to shore. He told authorities he chose Green Lake because it is the deepest in Wisconsin at 237 feet (over 72 meters). He then rode an electric bicycle hidden by a boat launch about 70 miles (110 kilometers) at night to Madison, the sheriff said. From there, according to Borgwardt’s account, he traveled by bus to Detroit and then to Canada, where he boarded a plane. Police are still verifying Borgwardt’s account of what happened, Podoll said.

Why did he do it?

Borgwardt faked his death and fled because of “personal issues,” believing it was the right thing to do, the sheriff said. Investigators found he took out a $375,000 life insurance policy in January on his family. “He just wants to try to make things better in his mind, and that’s the way it was going to be,” Podoll said.

What’s next?

Borgwardt has not yet decided to return home, and if he does, it will be of his own accord, according to Podoll. The deputies stress to him the importance of returning home and cleaning up the mess he made. The sheriff suggested Borgwardt could be charged with obstructing the investigation into his disappearance, but no charges have been filed so far. The search for Borgwardt, which lasted more than a month, reportedly cost at least $35,000. Borgwardt told authorities he didn’t expect the search to last more than two weeks, Podoll said, and his biggest concern is how the community will react to him if he returns.

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