The father of Noah Woods has remembered his son as “the sweetest and most innocent little boy” after the three-year-old is believed to have drowned in a pond after running away from a relative.
Noah was last seen alive on Tuesday afternoon after running from a play area for children under five in the Suffolk village of Brantham.
His disappearance prompted a major search operation involving hundreds of volunteers, police officers, Coastguard teams and firefighters. Noah had gone down an alleyway towards woodland and a large pond.
Suffolk Police confirmed on Thursday afternoon that a child’s body recovered from Decoy Pond by police divers the previous day was Noah. The toddler was non-verbal, partially deaf and undergoing assessments for autism.
Meanwhile, nearly 400 bouquets of flowers have been left outside the playground where Noah was last seen alive.
Mourners have also placed balloons, toys, teddy bears, candles and numerous Bluey character toys at the growing memorial.
Noah’s father, Rhys Woods, thanked everyone who joined the search in a Facebook post, writing: “As I’m sure you have all seen, the body that was found in Decoy Pond is our little Noah.
“There are no words to describe the pain of this loss, we are all absolutely heartbroken. Noah was the sweetest and most innocent little boy, with nothing but love to give, and we are going to miss him so very much.”
Noah’s disappearance after he went down an alleyway towards woodland and a large pond triggered a huge search involving volunteers, police, Coastguard teams and firefighters
His father, Rhys Woods, paid tribute to Noah as “the sweetest and most innocent little boy, with nothing but love to give”
‘It seems he has made an impact across the whole nation, you have all taken Noah into you’re [sic] own hearts, with all the overwhelming help, we were all just trying to bring him home to us safe and sound.
‘A heartfelt thank you to everyone in our community (even far and wide) who came together to search for our boy, including: Suffolk, Norfolk, Met police forces, HM coastguard, Suffolk lowland, Fire service, Ambulance service, RTT catering, Brantham Leisure Centre, Brantham village hall, local businesses, St Michael’s Church, private K-9 units, and so many more, and all of the people who gave up their time in their busy schedules to help us when we most needed it.
‘The compassion shown by all of you will never be forgotten by us and brought us comfort and strength at the darkest time of our lives.
‘This was the most heartbreaking outcome for us, we were just hoping that he would be hiding somewhere obvious where someone could find him, that’s what we kept telling ourselves the whole time.
‘With our love and deepest gratitude, from his daddy and mummy and little brother.
Addressing the memory of his son, he added: ‘Noah, you will be loved forever, you will never be forgotten and we miss you so so much, it has been a privilege to be your parents and be able to have packed so much love in the short 3 years you were with us.’
Superintendent Tom Pearse, of Suffolk Police, said: ‘I want to once again extend our thoughts and deepest sympathy to Noah’s family and thank them for their patience and understanding throughout the searches.
‘It was clear from the media coverage we saw that they not only had all of Suffolk behind them but an outpouring of goodwill from across the entire country and beyond.
The play area was beside a path that led down to Decoy Pond, where police found a body yesterday
CCTV caught Noah leaving the playground in Brantham, Suffolk, on Tuesday afternoon
The pond is around 150 yards across and is popular with anglers
A diving team in the pond yesterday, shortly before the tragic discovery was made
‘I know how grateful Noah’s family are for all the support and kind messages they have received.’
Noah’s suspected autism may have drawn him to the pond where he is believed to have drowned after running away from the play area.
Autism charities and water safety campaigners have long warned that children with the condition face a significantly higher risk of drowning.
Many are said to be attracted to the sights, sounds and tactile feel of splashing in water while unaware of the dangers posed.
The alarm was raised when no trace of Noah could be found after he dashed away from the playground.
Divers recovered his body from Decoy Pond, around 250 yards away, yesterday afternoon.
Suffolk Police said that Noah’s family had been informed, although the body had not been formally identified. Officers are treating the death as unexplained but not suspicious.
Cordons around the alleyway which Noah ran down were lifted overnight.
Hundreds of people were involved in the search for Noah
The alleyway quickly turns into a sandy track heading down a hill with woodland to the left and a development of new houses to the right.
The path then joins another track which leads directly through woodland bordering the edge of the pond, which is around 150 yards wide and known as a wildlife haven and a private fishing spot.
It has a number of access points with paths leading to the water’s edge, directly from the track. The banks in some places are shallow, meaning that a child could directly run in while unseen.
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The organisation Autism Speaks, which operates in the United States, says on its website: ‘Autistic people face a significantly higher risk of drowning and other water‑related accidents than their non‑autistic peers.
‘Many are naturally drawn to water because it can look, sound, and feel deeply calming. But for those who wander or have limited water‑safety skills, that attraction can quickly become dangerous.
‘A US study from 2016 to 2020 found that children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) had more than twice the odds of an unintentional drowning-related emergency visit compared with non-autistic children.’
The UK’s Royal Life Saving Society has put the risk as being far higher and has cited research which suggests autistic children are ‘160 times more likely to drown from accidental drowning’.
Nyla May Bradshaw, seven, who had autism and was non-verbal died after being found in a pond on a golf course near Doncaster, South Yorkshire, on March 30 this year.
The youngster who saw running off ‘as a game’ and required one-to-one supervision was in the care of a new childminder at the time of her death.
Her death led to the Doncaster-based autism charity Little Rainbows launching a campaign to improve ‘the adequacy, continuity, and safety of care provision for disabled children outside of school settings’.
The company Makewell, which tests for autism and ADHD National Water Safety Forum, states: ‘Autistic children may have a natural attraction to water due to its sensory qualities – its movement, sound, or feel.
‘This fascination can lead them to seek out water unsupervised, increasing the risk of drowning. Children with limited verbal communication might not be able to call for help if they’re in distress.
‘Sensory processing difficulties could mean a child doesn’t recognise danger, panic in water, or struggle with instructions during emergencies. Physical or motor impairments can make it harder to swim or recover balance, even in shallow water.’
Brantham Parish Council, which co-ordinated the search for Noah by members of the public, released a statement on Facebook, thanking everyone who turned out to look for him.
The post stated: ‘Our thoughts are with Noah’s family, friends and everyone who knows and loves him at this incredibly difficult time.
‘We want to say a heartfelt thank you to Brantham residents and the wider community. The response over the past couple of days has been extraordinary.
‘So many people have given their time, searched, brought supplies, opened buildings, supported volunteers and stood together as a community. Your kindness, care and willingness to help has been truly remarkable.
‘At this time, we ask everyone to please respect the family’s privacy and give them the time and space they need.’
Brantham Leisure Centre has now re-opened as a community hub for locals and those who joined in the search for Noah.
Those at there today included retired painter and decorator Keith Shears, 84 and his wife Jane, 77, who spent seven hours searching for the youngster yesterday before hearing a body had been found.
The couple, who have been married for 57 years and live in nearby Harwich, said they had been left ‘heartbroken’ that Noah had not been found alive.
Mr Shears said: ‘We just wanted to do something. We kept hoping and thinking that someone would find him. I was imagining that he might be curled up somewhere asleep and just crawl out from under a bush.
‘But all the time I had this nagging feeling that he would be in the pond. The water there is so accessible and it was so easy for him to go in
‘We registered and did three searches during the day. We looked over several fields and, on the last one, we were looking down beside the river when another searcher told us that a body had been found in the water.’
Former office worker Mrs Shears added: ‘I can’t imagine what the family of the little boy are going through. He was like a little angel face, so beautiful.
‘It was amazing that were so many people were searching. There were even young women carrying babies and pushing children in buggies. People were donating food and drink for people who were out looking.’
Sergeant Claire Connick, of Suffolk Police’s community policing team covering Brantham, also praised volunteers who had gone out searching for Noah
Speaking at Brantham Leisure Centre, she said: ‘When I arrived at the village hall yesterday, it was absolutely full of volunteers and many of them had been up all night. It was wonderful to see so many people wanting to help.’
Sergeant Connick said she set up a portal using existing police software to register the names and details of people and the areas they were searching, to ensure all areas were being covered efficiently.
The portal recorded the details of 1,600 people, but the actual number of people searching was higher because some who went out earlier had not registered, she added.
Sergeant Connick said: ‘I thought everyone was so supportive. I was so impressed by the community spirit. It was beautiful that they wanted to help the police and we were so grateful. It is just very sad that there was this outcome.’
A Just Giving appeal set up on behalf of Noah’s family had raised more than £31,000 from more than 2,200 people by 1pm today.
A statement with the appeal, organised by the Good Dads Club, stated: ‘In light of the news regarding three-year-old Noah Woods, Good Dads Club is calling on our community to give whatever they can to ease the overwhelming burden on his family during this heartbreaking time.
‘While no amount of money can undo these life altering events, every single financial contribution will go directly toward helping Noah’s family’s expenses, navigate daily bills, and take the necessary time off work to grieve without the added strain of financial worry.
‘Please consider donating today, no contribution is too small and share this campaign so we can surround Noah’s loved ones with the solidarity they desperately need.’
