INQUEST HEARS HOW THREE-YEAR-OLD NOAH WOODS LEFT PLAY AREA BEFORE HIS DEATH

BRANTHAM, SUFFOLK — New details have emerged about the final movements of three-year-old Noah Woods, whose body was found in a pond after a major search operation in Suffolk.

An inquest into Noah’s death heard on September 25, 2026, how the little boy managed to leave a children’s play area shortly before he disappeared.

The hearing provided the first detailed account of what happened in the minutes before Noah was last seen.

Noah was playing at an under-fives play area

Noah had been visiting the under-fives play area on Merriam Close in Brantham on September 15 with a relative.

CCTV footage shown to investigators captured Noah playing in the area.

Police told the inquest that the footage later showed the three-year-old leaving the play area through a gap in the fence.

He then passed through an open gate leading toward a nearby memorial garden.

His relative followed him and called after him as he moved away from the play area.

But Noah continued walking.

His final journey towards Decoy Pond

According to evidence presented at the inquest, Noah travelled approximately 200 metres before he could no longer be seen.

The direction he took led towards Decoy Pond, a body of water close to the residential area.

Once Noah was reported missing, an extensive search operation began.

Police officers, emergency services and members of the public searched the surrounding area, with approximately 1,300 people eventually involved in the search.

Search teams examined roads, gardens, woodland, waterways and other areas around Brantham.

The search continued into the following day.

Noah was found in the pond

On September 16, police divers searching Decoy Pond discovered Noah’s body.

He was found approximately five metres from the bank, among submerged tree roots.

The water at the location was estimated to be around 1.8 metres deep.

The discovery brought the large-scale search for Noah to a devastating end.

His family had spent hours hoping he would be found alive.

Police say the death is not being treated as suspicious

The inquest heard that Noah’s death is not currently being treated as suspicious.

However, the precise medical circumstances surrounding his death remain part of the investigation.

The inquest was opened and then adjourned on September 25.

A further hearing will take place at a later date.

The purpose of the inquest is to establish the circumstances surrounding Noah’s death, including how he came to be in the pond.

Family pays tribute to Noah

Noah’s death has left his family devastated.

His father, Rhys Woods, previously described his son as the “sweetest and most innocent little boy.”

He said the family would miss Noah enormously.

The family had also thanked the emergency services, volunteers and members of the public who joined the search after Noah disappeared.

The scale of the response reflected the urgency of the search for the three-year-old, with hundreds of people joining police efforts across the area.

Questions remain as inquest continues

The latest evidence provides a clearer picture of Noah’s final movements.

According to the evidence heard in court, he was captured on CCTV inside the play area before leaving through a gap in the fencing and moving through an open gate.

He then travelled towards Decoy Pond before disappearing from view.

What happened during those final moments remains a central part of the inquest.

For Noah’s family, however, the legal proceedings come after a devastating loss.

The three-year-old was found less than a day after the search began, bringing an end to the family’s desperate hope of finding him alive.

The inquest has now been adjourned, with further proceedings expected to examine the circumstances surrounding his death in greater detail.