The inquest into the death of Noah Woods, a three-year-old boy found dead in a pond after going missing from a playground, heard that he left the play area through a gap in the fence.
Noah became separated from a relative after visiting the playground in Merriam Close, Brantham, on the afternoon of 15 September, Suffolk police said. About 1,300 members of the public joined a search to find Noah, who police said was non-verbal, partially deaf and had been undergoing an assessment for autism.
Body recovered from Decoy Pond
Met police divers recovered his body from what is known locally as Decoy Pond on the afternoon of 16 September. Suffolk police said his death was not being treated as suspicious.
After the inquest into his death was opened and adjourned in Ipswich on Friday, Noah's family said they would like him to be remembered as “the happy little boy that he was”.
In a statement, they said: “Noah was a happy, cheeky, playful three-year-old boy who loved to laugh, loved to giggle and who brought joy wherever he went. He was part of a loving and caring family, living with his mummy, daddy and his little baby brother. He was at the centre of our world.
“Noah was being assessed for autism, although he had not received a diagnosis. He also had mild hearing loss and was speech delayed.
“Despite the challenges he faced, he was learning every day. He was saying new words all the time and had only just started finding and using his little voice. One of the things we miss most is the special sound of his voice. It was unique, wonderful, and something we will carry with us forever.”
Details from the inquest
Noah was “the most affectionate” boy who had an “incredibly special” bond with his brother, the statement said.
DCI Matthew Connick told the inquest that on 15 September, Noah, of East Bergholt, Suffolk, was being “looked after by relatives and this was part of a normal routine for Noah”.
He said they walked to an under-fives play area and CCTV footage in the park “showed Noah playing with his relative”. The first piece of footage was timed at 2.13pm and he was last seen playing at 2.37pm, said Connick, who added that the CCTV was motion-activated so did not provide continuous footage.
He said the relative, who was not named at the hearing, had provided a statement to police. The officer said Noah “left through a gap in the fence leading to the memorial garden where he left through an open gate”. He said Noah went in the direction of Decoy Pond and he was “being closely followed by his relative who was trying to keep up with him”.
He said the relative “shouted after him” but after 200 metres Noah could not be seen. “Police were called and a large-scale search operation began,” Connick said.
Coroner's condolences and tributes
Noah was found by a Met police diver “approximately 5 metres from the bank and within submerged tree roots”. The depth was estimated at 1.8 metres at that point, he added.
Noah's death was confirmed at 4.31pm by paramedics and his identity was formally confirmed by his mother, Charlie Peck, at Ipswich hospital that evening. A postmortem examination at Addenbrooke's hospital mortuary in Cambridge recorded his medical cause of death as pending further investigation, Connick said.
The Suffolk assistant coroner Jyoti Gill said at the outset of the hearing, which was not attended by the boy's family: “I would like to express my deepest condolences to Noah's family and friends and all those affected by Noah's death.”
She said at the end of the six-minute hearing: “The inquest is adjourned to a date to be fixed in due course.”
Noah's father, Rhys Woods, had paid tribute to his son in a message shared on a community Facebook group last week. He described Noah as the “sweetest and most innocent little boy, with nothing but love to give”, and added: “We are going to miss him so very much.”
Football players paid tribute to Noah during Everton's home match against Ipswich Town on Saturday by wearing black armbands.
