Locked In: Fisherman Says Park Worker Closed Gates on Him

Darrell Krsek says he met his brother-in-law and 5-year-old nephew at Prairie Park Fishery to cast a line on Memorial Day.

"We didn't want to be those people that get locked in," Krsek said, "but I guess we were those people.

He says it started to get dark when a park employee asked them to pack up and drive to the fishery's only entrance, but when they pulled up to the gate it was locked.

“We weren't arguing with him,” Krsek said.  “I don't understand why it happened."

Krsek says the worker saw him packing up the fishing gear, but still didn't wait.

“We weren't that far behind.  I just don't understand,” He said.

The fishing trio says they waited a half hour for police to let them unlock the entrance.

Cedar Rapids Parks Department says it's not the first time anglers have been caught on the wrong side of the gate since the park opened in the fall of 2010.

"If we see people heading toward their cars, we'll give them time to get out,” said Daniel Gibbins, Parks Superintendent.  “If they're heading out on the lake not following rules, we'll lock the gate."

Prairie Fishery is one of two area parks that locks up at dusk, thirty minutes after sunset.

Gibbins says signs around the park tell anglers and park users, if they're not out in thirty minutes, their cars will be locked in.

The city says it had considered closing the park at 10 o'clock year round.

“The problem with the set time is in the winter, when it gets dark at four-thirty and five o'clock, when it gets to eight p.m. that's a lot of hours of darkness,” Gibbins said.

The parks department says it decided to lock Prairie Fishery at night for safety reasons.  The area is not well lit and has about two miles of trail around the water.  The gates are unlocked at six o'clock every morning.