TWIN FALLS COUNTY, Idaho — The city of Twin Falls is speaking out, sharing why it is not speaking about certain search and rescue efforts.
It deals with suicide. After the sheriff's office said they got complaints for not sharing the details about why they were out looking for a person, they said it's to prevent more from happening.
The Twin Falls bridge is a beautiful landmark that comes with tragedy.
It brings in visitors from across the world, but leaving the community grappling with the public nature of suicides that happen there.
On Thursday, more than a hundred people prayed and walked across the bridge, raising awareness about the resources for those going through challenges.
Lori Stewart is with the Twin Falls Sheriff's Office and the Magic Valley Suicide and Prevention group.
"We have a unique situation here in Twin Falls with the Perrine bridge, where suicides are a little more public," said Stewart. "Our community knows about them when one of them take place on the bridge and so we have community members that are wondering why media isn't posting about that."
She said there is a reason they don't publicly talk about suicides when they happen.
"You don't want to sensationalize a death by suicide, and there is definitely the factor of of copycat or suicide contagion," she said. "The last thing we want to do by bringing that specific death forward and talking about that specific death is creating that contagion, or opening the door for copycat deaths."
According to the CDC, Idaho is among the top ten for suicide rates.
Twin falls County sees higher rates compared to other areas.
In 2022, Twin Falls had more than 25 deaths per 100 thousand people, where Boise had 22 deaths and Nampa had 19.
Stewart said there's a few factors to this.
"We do have higher suicide rates than a lot of the counties in Twin Falls and obviously, Idaho has higher suicide rates than a lot of the nation," said Steward. "We do believe that some of that is the rural issue in isolation, some of it is lack of resources."
Stewart said it's not just that, but it's the national appeal the bridge brings.
She said of the four deaths by suicide from the bridge this year, only one was a Twin Falls County resident.
Although, there have been 17 suicides in the county so far, she said a majority happen by other means.
It's why she said she encourages people to keep guns locked up so people don't have immediate access.
"Suicide occurs usually in a time of crisis, and it happens very quickly, so if we can slow that time frame down by not having the immediate access, then we're going to be a little more successful in preventing those," said Stewart.
She said because the bridge is so public, if you see something call 911 and don't go to social media to talk about it.
"We actually had people in this last week find out about a loved one's death by suicide from a social media post, so I would just really be cautious, and again, really think about if this were happening in your family, how would you want that portrayed? What would you want to see the community and the public and social media do," said Stewart.
A senior put a sign up with the suicide hotline by the visitor center in hopes to prevent things like this from happening.
As for infrastructure, Stewart said people are working on it, but community involvement is the quickest way to get people the help they need.
"My phrase these days is don't let the bad days win," she said.
Stewart said there are several ways the community can help.
You can volunteer with Local Mental Health Organizations. She said groups like NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) and local crisis centers always need volunteers.
You can support suicide prevention programs by participating or donating organizations that focus on suicide prevention and provide resources to those in need.
There are several in the Magic Valley to include Magic Valley Suicide Awareness and Prevention and Love Yourself.
You can educate yourself and learn to recognize the signs of someone in distress and how to offer support. She said to encourage open conversations about mental health in your circles.
She said look for people who are sleeping more, sleeping less, withdrawing from social activities, talking about death, and talking about depression can be some warning signs.
You can get involved in community programs aimed at building a more supportive environment for everyone, reducing stigma around mental health and means control like locking up guns and medications.
If you need help, call 988, that national suicide prevention hotline. Remember the number is not only for somebody that's in suicidal or mental health crisis, but also for the people trying to help another person or somebody that's lost somebody to suicide.