Safety committee set to discuss beach July 25

No discussion about the future of Bonnifield Lake will take place until next week at the earliest, Fairfield Mayor Ed Malloy said this morning.

Bonnifield Lake was closed Thursday evening after a Batavia man, Jesse Harl, reportedly became distressed while swimming and drowned.

The mayor said no policy would be made until after a funeral service for Harl has been carried out. The funeral is scheduled for Thursday.

?We haven?t had any formal discussions about it,? Malloy said. ?My personal feeling about it is that [the lake] remain closed until after the services for Jesse are completed. Out of respect for the family, I do not want to be creating any policy during this time.?

Malloy said at the ?appropriate time,? members of the city council and the park and recreation board will meet to ?discuss how we view the beach going forward.?

Late this morning, city administrator Kevin Flanagan said a discussion regarding the lake has been placed on the agenda for the Public Safety and Transportation Committee meeting at 5:15 p.m. July 25.

Harl, 31, of 1719 Hackberry Way, Batavia, was swimming with a young girl believed to be his daughter prior to 7 p.m. Thursday. According to witnesses, the pair was swimming beyond the roped swimming area near a life-sized alligator head that floats in the water to scare geese from the beach. Witnesses said when Harl became distressed, another swimmer retrieved the young girl and took her to safety. Swimmers attempted to locate Harl, but were unsuccessful.

The roped area in Bonnifield Lake, which designates where sand has been placed, measures 80 feet from north to south and 100 feet from east to west. Beach volunteers indicate at the far rope designating where the sanded area ends, the water is approximately 10 feet deep. The water is between approximately 12 and 14 feet deep where the alligator head is located. Swimming is legal in all areas of the lake.

According to information released by the Fairfield Fire Department, a 911 call was made to the Jefferson County Law Center at approximately 6:58 p.m. The Fairfield Police Department and Fairfield Fire Department responded and began a search for Harl. The body was located at approximately 8:06 p.m. and transported to the Offices of the Iowa State Medical Examiner for a determination of the cause of death pending an autopsy. Jefferson County Attorney Tim Dille said the autopsy results might not be available for three to four weeks or more.

Harl was a 1999 graduate of Fairfield High School and a 2005 graduate of Indian Hills Community College. He was the owner and operator of Flyin? H Construction. Survivors include his parents, Richard and Jane Anne Harl of rural Batavia; his brother, Christopher; his fiancee, Hopi James; and two children, Madalyn DessaMarie, 5, and Drake James, 10.

A memorial service for Harl was held at 8 p.m. Sunday at the lake. An estimated 200 friends and family members attended.

The funeral service will be held at 10:30 a.m. Thursday at St. Mary Catholic Church in Fairfield with the Rev. Stephen C. Page officiating. Burial will take place in the Centerville Cemetery. Family visitation will be from 4:30-7 p.m. Wednesday at St. Mary Catholic Church with prayer service at 7 p.m.

A full obituary for Harl appears on page 8.