“WE ARE ALL ABSOLUTELY HEARTBROKEN” — FATHER OF THREE-YEAR-OLD NOAH WOODS SPEAKS OUT AFTER HIS SON’S BODY IS FOUND

The father of three-year-old Noah Woods has shared a heartbreaking tribute to his son after a body discovered during a massive search in Suffolk was formally identified as the missing toddler.

Noah disappeared on the afternoon of September 15, 2026, after becoming separated from a relative while visiting a playground in Merriam Close in Brantham, Suffolk.

The disappearance triggered an enormous search operation involving police officers, specialist teams, emergency services and members of the public.

After more than 24 hours of searching, specialist divers from the Metropolitan Police recovered the body of a child from Decoy Pond on September 16.

Suffolk Police subsequently confirmed that the child was Noah.

Police said Noah’s death was not being treated as suspicious, although officers continued to make enquiries before submitting a file to the coroner.

“WE ARE ALL ABSOLUTELY HEARTBROKEN”

Noah’s father, Rhys Woods, shared the family’s devastating news in a message posted on social media.

He wrote that the body found in Decoy Pond was his son and said there were “no words” to describe the family’s pain.

Rhys described Noah as the “sweetest and most innocent little boy”, adding that he had “nothing but love to give.”

He said the family would miss him enormously and thanked the people who had joined the search from Brantham and much further afield.

“It seems he has made an impact across the whole nation,” Rhys wrote, as he expressed gratitude to everyone who had taken Noah into their hearts during the desperate search.

The family also thanked police officers, emergency services, search organisations, local businesses and volunteers who had spent hours looking for the missing child.

Rhys said the compassion shown by the community would never be forgotten and had given the family comfort and strength during the darkest period of their lives.

A MASSIVE SEARCH FOR NOAH

Noah was reported missing after he became separated from a relative at the playground.

Police released CCTV footage showing the toddler in the play area shortly before he disappeared.

The search quickly expanded, with approximately 1,300 members of the public joining the effort alongside police and specialist emergency teams.

Searchers combed areas around Brantham while specialist resources were deployed, including police search teams, dog units, helicopters, HM Coastguard, Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service, Suffolk Lowland Search and Rescue and the Metropolitan Police Dive Team.

The search eventually focused heavily on Decoy Pond.

On September 16, Metropolitan Police divers entered the water and recovered a child’s body.

At the time, formal identification had not yet been completed, but Noah’s family had already been informed of the discovery.

The following day, Suffolk Police confirmed the identification.

WHAT HAPPENED BEFORE NOAH DISAPPEARED?

Further details were later heard during an inquest at Suffolk Coroner’s Court in Ipswich.

Detective Chief Inspector Matthew Connick told the hearing that CCTV showed Noah playing in the under-fives area of the playground.

The footage indicated that he later left the play area through a gap in the fence.

He then entered a nearby memorial garden through an open gate and continued towards Decoy Pond.

A relative followed him and shouted after him, but after approximately 200 metres, Noah was no longer visible.

Police were then contacted and the large-scale search operation began.

Noah was eventually found approximately five metres from the bank of Decoy Pond, among submerged tree roots.

The depth at that point was estimated to be around 1.8 metres, the inquest heard.

His medical cause of death remained pending further investigation, and the inquest was adjourned to a date yet to be fixed.

REMEMBERING THE LITTLE BOY BEHIND THE HEADLINES

Following his death, Noah’s family asked that he be remembered for the child he was rather than simply for the tragic circumstances surrounding his disappearance.

They described him as a “happy, cheeky, playful three-year-old boy” who loved to laugh and giggle and brought joy wherever he went.

Noah lived with his mother, father and baby brother.

His family said he adored his younger brother and loved spending time entertaining him and making him laugh.

They also said Noah was being assessed for autism and had mild hearing loss and speech delay, but was learning every day and had recently started using new words.

His father’s tribute ended with a message of love from his parents and little brother.

Rhys said it had been a privilege to be Noah’s parents and to have filled the three years of his life with so much love.

A COMMUNITY LEFT IN MOURNING

After the search ended, people across Brantham began leaving flowers, balloons, teddy bears and toys at the playground where Noah was last seen.

The response reflected how deeply the toddler had touched people who had never even met him.

Suffolk Police Superintendent Tom Pearse thanked the hundreds of people who had helped search for Noah and asked the public to give his family the time, space and privacy they needed.

For Noah’s family, however, the end of the search brought the devastating reality they had spent more than a day desperately hoping to avoid.

A father who had pleaded with the public not to give up searching for his little boy was now facing the loss of his son.

And amid the heartbreak, his family’s message remains simple:

Noah was loved.
Noah will never be forgotten.
And he will always be remembered as the happy, cheeky little boy who brought joy to those around him.