NOAH WOODS, 3, LEFT PLAYGROUND THROUGH GAP IN FENCE BEFORE TRAGIC DEATH, INQUEST HEARS

BRANTHAM, SUFFOLK, ENGLAND — New details have emerged about the final moments of 3-year-old Noah Woods, whose disappearance sparked a massive search involving police, emergency crews and around 1,300 members of the public before his body was discovered in a nearby pond.

Noah disappeared on the afternoon of September 15 after visiting a children’s playground on Merriam Close in Brantham, Suffolk.

An inquest hearing on September 25 heard that the little boy left the play area through a gap in the internal fence, passed through an open gate in a nearby memorial garden and headed toward Decoy Pond.

CCTV CAPTURED NOAH’S FINAL MOMENTS

Detective Chief Inspector Matthew Connick told the inquest that Noah had been at the under-5s playground with a relative as part of his normal routine.

CCTV footage showed Noah playing with the relative at the playground.

The first footage was recorded at about 2:13 p.m., while the last confirmed footage showed him in the play area at approximately 2:37 p.m.

The officer explained that the CCTV system was motion-activated, meaning it did not provide continuous footage of everything happening in the area.

Noah then left the play area through a gap in the fence leading toward a memorial garden.

He subsequently passed through an open gate and began moving in the direction of Decoy Pond.

A relative followed him and tried to catch up.

After Noah had traveled roughly 200 meters, the relative could no longer see him.

Police were then contacted and a major search operation began.

1,300 PEOPLE JOINED THE SEARCH

What followed was one of the largest community searches in the area.

Police officers and specialist search teams were joined by firefighters, coastguard personnel, dog units, air support, specialist divers and hundreds of local residents.

Approximately 1,300 members of the public volunteered to search for Noah during the operation.

The search extended across Brantham and surrounding areas near the Suffolk-Essex border.

On September 16, specialist divers from the Metropolitan Police entered Decoy Pond.

They eventually located Noah’s body approximately five meters from the bank, submerged among tree roots at a depth of about 1.8 meters.

Paramedics confirmed Noah’s death at approximately 4:31 p.m.

His mother, Charlie Peck, later formally identified her son at Ipswich Hospital.

NOAH’S DEATH IS NOT BEING TREATED AS SUSPICIOUS

Suffolk Police have said that Noah’s death is not being treated as suspicious.

However, authorities have continued their inquiries and submitted information to the coroner.

A post-mortem examination was carried out, but the inquest heard that further investigation was required before the final cause of death could be established.

The inquest was opened at Suffolk Coroner’s Court in Ipswich on September 25 and then adjourned to a later date.

Assistant Coroner Jyoti Gill expressed her condolences to Noah’s family and everyone affected by his death.

QUESTIONS ABOUT THE PLAYGROUND FENCE

The inquest has also brought attention to the condition of the fencing around the playground.

Brantham Parish Council, which is responsible for the play area, said there was a break in the internal fencing separating the children’s play area from the memorial garden.

The council said the wider area was enclosed by perimeter fencing and expressed its deep sadness over Noah’s death.

The circumstances surrounding the fencing and the route Noah took toward the pond will form part of the wider examination of what happened.

A FAMILY REMEMBERS A HAPPY LITTLE BOY

Noah’s family described him as a happy, playful and affectionate three-year-old who loved to laugh and brought joy to those around him.

He lived with his mother, father and baby brother.

His family said Noah adored his younger brother and loved making him laugh.

They also said he had mild hearing loss and delayed speech and was undergoing an assessment for autism, although he had not received a formal diagnosis.

His father, Rhys Woods, described his son as the “sweetest and most innocent little boy” after his body was found.

The family has asked people to remember Noah for the happiness he brought to their lives rather than only for the circumstances of his death.

A COMMUNITY LEFT HEARTBROKEN

The search for Noah brought an extraordinary response from the local community.

People traveled from surrounding areas to help look for the missing child, while businesses and community groups provided food, drinks and other support for search teams.

After his death was confirmed, tributes poured in from across the country.

The family has thanked everyone who searched, shared information and sent messages of support.

But police have also urged the public to give Noah’s relatives time and privacy as they grieve.

NHS DATA BREACH UNDER INVESTIGATION

In a separate development, an NHS trust has confirmed that 10 staff members were removed from duty or suspended following allegations that Noah’s medical records were accessed without authorization after his disappearance and death.

The East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust apologized to Noah’s family and said an investigation was underway. The incident has also been reported to the UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office.

That investigation is separate from the circumstances surrounding Noah’s death.

For his family, however, the central tragedy remains the loss of a three-year-old boy whose disappearance brought an entire community together.

Noah Woods was just three years old.

His family says the memory they want to preserve is not simply that of the child who went missing, but of the little boy who laughed, played, loved his baby brother and brought happiness to everyone around him.