The Madison Police Department said they believe a Fox Cities man may have fallen into Lake Monona after disappearing Jan. 16, according to a MPD statement.

Appleton resident Charlie Geurts was reported missing from the Sheraton Hotel on John Nolen Drive, where he was staying, at 2:20 a.m. on the morning of the 16th. 

According to MPD spokesperson Joel DeSpain, police did not find evidence of foul play. 

“[Geurts] likely walked out onto the ice of the lake and fell through,” DeSpain said. 

However, he said, the police do not know for sure what happened to Geurts at this time.

MPD did extensive searching with Geurts’ family and friends, DeSpain said. According to the statement, over 50 family members and friends traveled to Madison to distribute fliers in neighborhoods around the city. The fliers asked Madison residents to check their properties for any evidence of Geurts, the statement said.

According to the statement, MPD decided to discontinue their search Jan. 19 in the late evening, after they were unable to recover Geurts and no new leads in the case emerged.

DeSpain said if new information comes up in the case, MPD will follow up. MPD wants to find or recover Geurts, he said.