IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — Search crews are ramping up efforts to locate Teng Go, an 88-year-old Arizona man who slipped off rocks along the Idaho Falls Greenbelt and fell into the Snake River during a Sunday family visit.
To assist dive teams, officials reduced water flow from the Palisades Dam to slow downstream currents near the downtown Broadway Bridge, where search operations are concentrated.
“The current level in the river has come down fairly significantly… making some of those search efforts a little easier in the area where they are concentrating just above the Broadway Bridge downtown,” said Sgt. Bryan Lovell with the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office.
This marks the second time a visitor has fallen into the river along that stretch of the Greenbelt this summer. On June 4, John Green of Louisiana drowned after losing his footing while taking photographs on the riverbank rocks near the same area. Search crews hope to recover both men.
The two incidents have sparked debate in local online groups, with some community members calling for warning signs or protective fencing along the slippery rocks. Others argue that safety barriers would be impractical and unnecessary.
In an interview with Sergeant Bryan Lovell with the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office, he backed the latter. He believes the Greenbelt has its risks, but dozens of people visit the Greenbelt every day, and there have only been a few incidents.
In an online poll posted in the Facebook group Life in Idaho Falls, nearly 70% of respondents agreed that the Greenbelt should be left untouched. Less than 20 percent of respondents voted for additional warning signs.
One commenter stated, “More signs or a barricade will ruin the beauty.”
