MORE THAN £100,000 RAISED FOR NOAH WOODS’ FAMILY AFTER TRAGIC LOSS OF THREE-YEAR-OLD
MORE THAN £100,000 RAISED FOR NOAH WOODS’ FAMILY AFTER TRAGIC LOSS OF THREE-YEAR-OLD
More than £100,000 has been raised for the family of three-year-old Noah Woods, days after the little boy’s disappearance ended in tragedy in Brantham, Suffolk.
Noah was reported missing on the afternoon of September 15 after becoming separated from a relative during a visit to a playground on Merriam Close. Police said he ran down an alleyway toward a nearby housing development and Decoy Pond.
A huge search operation was launched, bringing together specialist police teams, emergency services and members of the local community.
Around 1,300 members of the public joined the search for Noah, while police were supported by HM Coastguard, Suffolk Fire & Rescue Service, the National Police Air Service, the Metropolitan Police Dive Team, Suffolk Lowland Search and Rescue and other agencies.
BODY FOUND AT DECOY POND
On September 16, Metropolitan Police divers searching Decoy Pond recovered the body of a child.
The following day, Suffolk Police formally identified the child as Noah Woods, subject to confirmation through formal inquest proceedings.
Police said Noah’s death is not being treated as suspicious, although officers still have inquiries to complete before submitting a file to the coroner.
The discovery brought the intensive search to a devastating end and left the small Suffolk community mourning the young boy.
FATHER PAYS EMOTIONAL TRIBUTE
Following the identification, Noah’s father, Rhys Woods, described his son as the “sweetest and most innocent little boy.”
He said the family was “absolutely heartbroken” and thanked the thousands of people who had searched for Noah and supported them.
Rhys also said the response from the public had given the family comfort and strength during the darkest period of their lives.
“Noah, you will be loved forever, you will never be forgotten,” his father wrote in a tribute shared after the discovery.
A WAVE OF SUPPORT FOR THE FAMILY
A fundraising page created to support the Woods family has now received donations from more than 6,000 people, with the total surpassing £100,000 by September 19.
The fundraiser was created by the Good Dads Club, a community of fathers based in Colchester, Essex.
Organizers said the money would help Noah’s family with expenses and allow them time away from work as they grieve their son.
The group said the extraordinary response was an outpouring of kindness from people who wanted to support the family after witnessing the community’s desperate efforts to find Noah.
Flowers, balloons, teddy bears and Bluey-themed tributes have also been left near the playground where Noah was last seen.
A COMMUNITY THAT REFUSED TO LOOK AWAY
The search for Noah brought together people from Brantham and much farther afield.
Volunteers searched roads, fields and surrounding areas, while emergency crews worked around the clock.
Although the outcome was not what everyone had hoped for, Noah’s family has repeatedly expressed gratitude for the people who tried to bring him home.
For the Woods family, the fundraising campaign and the tributes now surrounding Brantham represent something deeply personal: a reminder that their little boy touched the lives of thousands of people who never even had the chance to meet him.
Noah was only three years old.
But in the days following his disappearance, an entire community came together to search for him — and now, that same community is standing beside his family in their grief.
