Dozens of floral tributes have been placed outside a playground in Brantham, Suffolk, after a body was found in the search for three-year-old Noah Woods. The toddler disappeared on Tuesday afternoon after running down an alleyway following a visit to the play area in Merriam Close.
Body found in fishing lake
Specialist dive teams from the Metropolitan Police were called in to help with the hunt and were seen searching the water on Wednesday afternoon. In an update yesterday evening, it was announced that the body of a child had been found in a fishing lake near to the play area.
Superintendent Tom Pearse from Suffolk police said: “These five teams this afternoon have sadly found a body of a child in Decoy Pond in Brantham. Formal identification is yet to take place. The family of Noah Woods has been informed of these developments.”
Community outpouring
He added that the discovery is currently being treated as not suspicious but unexplained, and that the coroner will be informed. He also said Noah's family now need “time, space and privacy”.
“We have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of public support and people putting on their boots to help us with this search,” he said. “As a parent myself, I completely understand why people would want to help and such a response is one that typifies the strong sense of community and the heart-warming nature of Suffolk people that make the county such a special place.”
Tributes and search efforts
Today, Wednesday, September 17, dozens of tributes have been placed outside the gates to the playground, including flowers, cards, teddy bears and cars. Several hundred volunteers, as well as teams from the police, fire, coastguard and search and rescue, had joined the hunt for the toddler.
Noah, who disappeared after becoming separated from a relative, was non-verbal and partially deaf and would not have responded to his name if called. As well as a massive ground search, helicopters, sniffer dogs and thermal imaging were used, as officers went door to door and scoured CCTV.
Volunteers gathered in a garden area at Brantham Leisure Centre were brought to tears after Mr Pearse broke the news, and his own voice cracked as he praised those gathered for helping in the search.
