A mother has described the moment her non-verbal son disappeared, saying it could happen to anyone, after the tragic death of three-year-old Noah Woods in Suffolk.
Kylie Reading, 43, from Eastleigh, Hampshire, faced every parent's worst nightmare when her then five-year-old son Devon Reading vanished from their home. She had been lying down feeling unwell and came downstairs to find him gone.
Search and relief
The mum-of-three said her family searched the house and garden three times before expanding their search to the estate. Devon, who is autistic and non-verbal, is fascinated by water, and Kylie feared he may have wandered out to a nearby stream.
Kylie called the police, and within 40 minutes of his disappearance officers told her Devon had been found. After being reunited with Devon, now seven, Kylie said her youngest was 'completely oblivious' to the panic he had caused.
Noah's disappearance
The emotions of that day came flooding back when Noah Woods disappeared earlier this month in Suffolk, two-and-a-half years after her own experience. The toddler, who was non-verbal, partially deaf and had been undergoing an assessment for autism, became separated from a relative after visiting a playground on September 15. The search ended a day later when police divers recovered a body from a nearby lake.
It has been reported that Noah left the play area 'through a gap in the fence', but Kylie insists no blame should be attributed to family over the heartbreaking events.
Kylie's account
Kylie said: "[When Devon went missing] I was really unwell so I was in bed. My then 11-year-old son was in and out the house with one of his friends. We've got one of those front doors that unless you lock it you don't need a key to get back in, so the door would've kept opening and closing and we didn't think anything of it.
"We're presuming Devon went out after his brother. I'd had a little sleep and came downstairs and asked my husband 'where's Devon?'. He thought he was upstairs with me. We searched the house completely probably three times before we started panicking.
"I ran to my friend's house who lived nearby in case he'd gone that way, we were just trying to look around the estate. Where we live is enclosed by a woodland walk. In the woods, there is a stream so that's where I first sent everyone to look because Devon is obsessed with water, which a lot of autistic children are.
"I honestly thought he was going to be found somewhere dead. It was the longest time of my life. I was hysterical and terrified."
Devon was picked up by police officers 40 minutes after leaving his home. Kylie said: "I literally collapsed in the street in hysterics. I just went 'he's been found, he's been found'. He'd gone across this main road by our house. He was found on the other side by some teenagers who phoned the police, he was less than a mile away. I think he'd been jumping in puddles, which he's obsessed with.
"He was the happiest boy in the world when we picked him up, not knowing the danger he could've been in and the panic he caused. He was completely oblivious."
Message to adults
After news of Noah's death, Kylie is reminding others that his disappearance was 'no-one's fault'. She said: "I felt so sad for the [relative] that had been with Noah, people are so quick to judge. But if you've been in that situation or not really educated in how autistic children are, people just blame. But it can happen so quickly.
"I'm a fit person and, even for me, Devon is fast. No-one ever thinks it will happen to them, but just be vigilant at all times. It can happen so quickly and it's no one's fault. If you ever see a child on their own, go to that child and keep them out of danger."
Hampshire Police have been contacted for comment.
