Brantham, Suffolk – A major search for three-year-old Noah Woods in Brantham, Suffolk, ended in a tragic development on Wednesday, September 16, when specialist police divers recovered the body of a child from Decoy Pond.
Suffolk Constabulary said formal identification had not yet taken place, although Noah’s family had been informed. Police said the discovery was being treated as not suspicious but unexplained, with the coroner being notified.
Noah was reported missing on Tuesday, September 15, after becoming separated from a relative following a visit to the playground on Merriam Close. Police later confirmed that CCTV showed his last confirmed sighting at approximately 2:37 p.m. He was reported to have run along an alley beside the playground towards a nearby new-build housing development.
Police described Noah as a white child with curly ginger hair. At the time, he was wearing a white Bluey T-shirt, shorts and trainers. Officers said he was non-verbal and had partial hearing loss, information that was important to the search because he might not respond when his name was called. Reports also stated that he was undergoing assessment for autism.
Extensive search operation
The disappearance prompted a large-scale response involving Suffolk Police, specialist search officers, dog teams, the National Police Air Service, HM Coastguard, Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service, Suffolk Lowland Search and Rescue and other agencies.
Members of the public also joined the effort in large numbers. Suffolk Police said approximately 1,300 members of the public supported the search. Teams searched areas around Brantham, including woodland and locations near the River Stour, while specialist divers examined Decoy Pond.
Before the discovery, police released CCTV footage showing Noah at the playground and asked residents and motorists to check doorbell cameras, CCTV and dashcam recordings from the afternoon he disappeared. Officers also asked residents to search gardens, sheds, outbuildings and other places where a young child could potentially have gone.
Investigation continues
The recovery of the child’s body does not, at this stage, establish the circumstances of Noah’s death. Police have said the matter is unexplained and have not indicated that it is being treated as suspicious.
Superintendent Tom Pearse expressed sympathy to Noah’s family and thanked emergency services and members of the public who participated in the search. Police have also asked the public to respect the family’s privacy as the investigation and formal identification process continue.