A child’s body has been recovered from a pond during the desperate search for missing three-year-old Noah Woods, a partially deaf and non-verbal boy who disappeared from a playground in Brantham, Suffolk.
Noah vanished on Tuesday afternoon after running away from an under-five playground on Merriam Close while he was with his grandfather.
Police launched a major search operation after the youngster was reported missing, with officers, specialist teams, search-and-rescue crews and local volunteers scouring the area.
Child’s body recovered from Decoy Pond
Suffolk Police Superintendent Tom Pearse confirmed that a child’s body had been found in Decoy Pond in Brantham.
Speaking at a press conference, he said formal identification had not yet taken place, but Noah’s family had been informed of the discovery.
Pearse said: “Police have recovered the body of a child from Decoy Pond in Brantham.
“Formal identification is yet to take place, but the family of Noah Woods have been informed of this development.”
The pond is understood to be around 0.2 miles from the playground where Noah was last seen.
Police divers had been searching the fishing lake after CCTV and witness information indicated that Noah had run down an alleyway beside the playground towards a nearby new-build housing estate and the pond.
A forensics van was seen heading towards the pond shortly before 5.40pm, as specialist teams continued working at the scene.
Huge search operation launched
Noah, who is partially deaf and non-verbal, was last seen at an under-five play area.
CCTV released by police showed him in the playground at around 2.37pm on Tuesday.
Search teams were warned that Noah would not respond when his name was called, adding to the difficulty of locating him across the surrounding area.
Police dogs, specialist officers and Coastguard helicopters were deployed, while large numbers of local residents joined the search.
Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service and Suffolk Lowland Search and Rescue were also involved, alongside the National Police Air Service, Suffolk HART, the Environment Agency, HM Coastguard and ambulance crews.
The search covered woodland, dense bushes, fields and areas leading towards the main railway line between Ipswich and London.
The River Stour lies on the opposite side of the railway tracks from the area where Noah disappeared.
As darkness fell on Tuesday, residents continued searching, with some walking along riverbanks by torchlight.
Firefighters were also seen checking beneath cars and looking over garden walls near the playground.
Brantham Parish Council had urged residents to inspect their gardens, sheds and even areas “under furniture” in the hope that Noah might be found hiding nearby.
Family made urgent appeal
Before the discovery was announced, Noah’s father, Rhys Woods, made an emotional plea for people to continue searching.
He said he “cannot go another night knowing he is out there alone” and asked residents to expand the search area.
Rhys said Noah was “only mildly autistic” and had partial hearing loss, adding that he was capable of carrying out everyday tasks.
“Knowing our boy, he has gone even further,” he said, urging members of the public to keep looking.
“I cannot go another night knowing he’s out there alone, please don’t give up on him guys.
“He is out there somewhere and I appreciate every single one of you.”
Police thank local community
Superintendent Pearse paid tribute to the huge public response to the search, while asking people to give Noah’s family privacy following the discovery.
He said a “vast number” of police officers and staff had been deployed since Noah was reported missing, with many other emergency and specialist services supporting the operation.
Pearse also thanked members of the public who had volunteered to search.
He said the response had been overwhelming, describing the willingness of local people to put on their boots and help as a reflection of the strong community spirit in Suffolk.
Following the briefing, volunteers who had spent hours searching for Noah were seen crying and comforting one another.
Police have stressed that formal identification of the body is still required. Noah’s family has been informed of the discovery, and authorities have asked for their privacy at this deeply distressing time.