A three-year-old boy found dead in a lake in Brantham, Suffolk, had left a playground through a ‘gap in the fence’, an inquest in Ipswich has heard. Noah Woods, who was mildly autistic and partially deaf, was last seen playing near a blue roundabout in the village at around 3pm on Tuesday, September 15.
It is thought he became separated from his grandfather and ran off towards a new-build housing estate and a fishing lake known as ‘Decoy Pond’. His body was discovered in the pond around 300 metres from where he is said to have broken free and run down an alleyway, following a 24-hour search involving more than 1,300 people.
Search and discovery
Helicopters, volunteers, police and the Coastguard took part in the search, while residents were urged to check doorbell footage, gardens, sheds and any spaces where a small child might go. Divers eventually found Noah’s body in the Brantham pond.
After the discovery, his father, Rhys Woods, said on social media that the family were ‘just hoping that he would be hiding somewhere obvious where someone could find him’.
Fundraiser and tribute
A charity supporting dads and their mental health, Good Dads Club, set up a fundraiser on JustGiving to help Noah’s family. Within days, it had exceeded £80,000, with 5,069 people donating.
Superintendent Pearse, whose voice cracked with emotion as he spoke to volunteers, paid tribute to Noah’s family and ‘all those who knew him’. He said Noah’s family and the multiple agencies searching the area were ‘overwhelmed by the outpouring of public support, people putting on their boots and helping us with the search and that, ladies and gentlemen, is yourselves.’
