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The turning point in the investigation came when authorities made contact with Ryan through a Russian-speaking individual on November 11. In a remarkable revelation, they confirmed his safety, albeit his unwillingness to return home. Live updates revealed that Ryan staged his disappearance by securing an e-bike near the launch point, taking to a child-sized floating device, and abandoning his kayak along with his phone in the lake.
Ryan's escape was further detailed: he rode the bike through the night to Madison, eventually boarding a bus that took him across the Canadian border and then to an undisclosed airport for his flight to Europe. Law enforcement officials are currently verifying this timeline of events.