 In May 1940, when he was 24, Ryniak was arrested by the Germans in his hometown of Sanok and was accused of being a member of the Polish resistance.He was transported to Tarnów prison on 7 May, together with 18 Poles from Jarosław, and arrived at Auschwitz on 14 June 1940, in the first mass transport of prisoners to the camp.Numbers were tattooed on prisoners' arms in the order of their arrival.