Wellwishers donate nearly £80,000 to devastated family of Noah Woods after tragic three-year-old's body was pulled from pond

Wellwishers have donated almost £80,000 to the family of three-year-old Noah Woods, who was found dead in a pond in Suffolk this week.

Noah, who was non-verbal and partially deaf, and awaiting an autism assessment, was reported missing on Tuesday after running away from a relative following a trip to a local playground.

Some 1,300 volunteers descended on the tiny village of Brantham to help emergency services find the youngster, but tragedy was confirmed on Wednesday afternoon after his body was pulled from nearby Decoy Pond.

Noah had run down an alleyway in the direction of the pond and woodland and vanished without a trace.

Police including a specialist diving team, firefighters, staff from the coastguard, local search-and-rescue and canine organisations were among a massive response to the missing boy, described by family as 'the sweetest and most innocent little boy'.

Now a fundraiser launched by the Good Dads Club – a club set up for fathers in nearby Essex to meet one another with their children – to help Noah's family has exceeded £78,000.

It comes after Noah's parents, Rhys Woods and Charlie Peck, yesterday released a heartbreaking tribute to their little boy.

Posting the tribute on social media, Mr Woods said: 'As I'm sure you have all seen, the body that was found in Decoy Pond is our little Noah.

The disappearance of Noah, who headed down an alleyway leading towards woodland and a large pond on Tuesday, sparked a huge search involving hundreds of volunteers, police, Coastguards and firefighters

Noah (pictured with his mother Charlie Peck), who was non-verbal and partially deaf, and awaiting an autism assessment, was found in Decoy Pond in the village of Brantham, Suffolk

A fundraiser for Noah's family (Pictured: Mother Charlie Peck) has raised almost £80,000

'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.'

He went on to thank the 'whole nation' for taking Noah 'into your hearts', as well as the local community, volunteers and emergency services for their assistance.

Mr Woods continued: '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.

'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.'

The tribute was also shared by Noah's mother.

Posting on Instagram on Friday morning, the Good Dads Club said in a statement Noah's parents have now been informed about the fundraiser and are 'incredibly grateful for everyone’s generosity'.

Noah's father, Rhys Woods, paid tribute to him as 'the sweetest and most innocent boy, with nothing but love to give'

The play area was beside a path that led down to Decoy Pond, where police found a body yesterday

The pond is just 250 yards from where Noah was last seen by a relative

'We expected to raise a modest amount to pass on to the Woods family when the time was right, but what we hadn’t planned for was an astonishing avalanche of kindness, compassion and empathy from thousands and thousands of you, all with the shared goal of helping poor Noah’s family,' the statement read.

'We set the page up, but it’s absolutely not about us, we are here to shine a light on a wonderful community of people who have united to help search for Noah, offer support to the Woods family, and the incredible donations that will be able to provide some financial relief to help them navigate through an incredibly difficult grieving period.'

Police confirmed on Wednesday they had recovered a body just 250 yards from where Noah was last seen. Officers are treating the death as unexplained but not suspicious.

The alarm was raised when no trace of Noah could be found after he dashed away from the playground. 

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.

It is thought that Noah's suspected autism could have made him more vulnerable to drowning in the pond. 

Autism charities and water safety campaigners have long warned that children with the condition face a significantly higher risk of drowning than neurotypical children.

Many are said to be attracted to the sights, sounds and tactile feel of splashing in water while unaware of the dangers posed.

Cordons in the area have now been lifted, and Brantham Leisure Centre, which was being used as a volunteer hub, has now been reopened to the public.