Noah Woods, three, drowned in pond after he left play area 'through a gap in the fence', inquest told

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By MARK DUELL, DEPUTY CHIEF REPORTER (DIGITAL)

Published: 10:27 BST, 25 September 2026 | Updated: 10:43 BST, 25 September 2026

A three-year-old boy left a play area 'through a gap in the fence' before being found dead in a lake following a huge search, an inquest heard today.

Noah Woods became separated from a relative after visiting a playground in the Suffolk village of Brantham on Tuesday last week, the hearing in Ipswich was told.

Some 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.

Metropolitan Police divers recovered his body from a lake, known locally as Decoy Pond, the following day and police said his death was not being treated as suspicious.

A JustGiving page set up by Good Dads Club, a community of fathers based in Colchester, Essex, has since received £113,000 in donations from 6,500 supporters.

The fundraiser aims to help Noah's family with expenses at the 'heartbreaking time' and allow them 'time off work to grieve without the added strain of financial worry'. 

Noah Woods, three, became separated from a relative after visiting a playground in Brantham

The playground on Merriam Close in Brantham, from where Noah went missing last week

Suffolk Police issued CCTV footage of Noah's last movements at the playground in Brantham

CCTV of the last confirmed sighting of Noah from the park at 2.37pm on September 15

The lake, known as Decoy Pond, is 250 yards from where Noah was last seen by a relative

Noah's father Rhys Woods paid tribute to his son last week, saying: '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.'

Suffolk Police said last week that Noah's body was formally identified after being recovered by police divers – and that his death was not being treated as suspicious. 

Helicopters, the coastguard, fire and rescue service, lowland search and rescue volunteers and other agencies joined police and volunteers in the search for Noah.