The circumstances surrounding Finnerty disappearance are odd. There is no way to know if foul play was involved or he left on his own accord, but here is a breakdown of what happened from USA Today.
“He phoned his wife and explained he was afraid,” said Hilts. “He left his equipment and ran off into the woods.”
Finnerty was fishing alone Sunday on the Baldwin River northeast of Baldwin, Mich.. His family owns a cabin near Bray State Forest. Police said he called his wife and in-laws to come and pick him up. When they got there they found his small pontoon boat but he was gone.
“We found a fishing pole and that’s all,” said Lake County Undersheriff Dennis Robinson. “No waders and no fishing equipment.”
Finnerty led Grand Valley State to three Division II championships in the mid 2000s and was briefly on the Ravens and Broncos roster.
Search and rescue are still out looking for him, if you have any information contact the Lake County Sheriff department.