NEW CCTV REVEALS NOAH WOODS’ LAST KNOWN MOVEMENTS — POLICE SEARCH LAKE BEFORE HEARTBREAKING DISCOVERY

Three-year-old Noah Woods was seen playing at a Suffolk playground shortly before he disappeared, in CCTV footage that would become the last known record of his movements.

What followed was a frantic search involving specialist police teams, emergency services and around 1,300 members of the public.

But after more than 24 hours of searching, the case ended in heartbreaking circumstances.

THE LAST KNOWN IMAGES OF NOAH

Noah was reported missing at around 3 p.m. on Tuesday, September 15, after becoming separated from a relative at the playground on Merriam Close in Brantham, Suffolk.

Police later confirmed that CCTV showed Noah at the playground at approximately 2:37 p.m.

The footage showed the little boy before he appeared to run down an alleyway beside the playground, heading toward a nearby new-build housing estate and Decoy Pond.

Police described Noah as non-verbal and partially hearing-impaired. He was also undergoing an assessment for autism, meaning he might not respond if someone called his name.

He was wearing a white Bluey T-shirt, shorts and black Vans trainers.

HIS FATHER MADE A DESPERATE PLEA

As the search continued into Wednesday, Noah’s father, Rhys Woods, appealed to members of the public not to give up.

In an emotional message, he said:

“I cannot go another night knowing he’s out there alone. Please don’t give up on him, guys. He is out there somewhere.”

His words came as hundreds of volunteers searched alongside police and emergency crews.

The operation eventually involved approximately 1,300 members of the public, together with specialist search officers, dog units, HM Coastguard, Suffolk Fire & Rescue Service, the National Police Air Service, Suffolk Lowland Search & Rescue and the Metropolitan Police Dive Team.

POLICE FOCUSED ON DECoy POND

As investigators worked to reconstruct Noah’s movements, the search expanded around the village and nearby waterways.

Police repeatedly asked members of the public not to enter open water or railway areas themselves because those locations required specialist teams.

On Wednesday afternoon, Metropolitan Police divers searching Decoy Pond made the discovery everyone had been desperately hoping would not happen.

A child’s body was recovered from the pond shortly before 6 p.m.

At first, formal identification had not been completed. Noah’s family was informed while police continued their enquiries.

THE HEARTBREAKING CONFIRMATION

On September 17, Suffolk Police confirmed that the child recovered from Decoy Pond was Noah Woods, aged three.

Police said Noah’s death was not being treated as suspicious, although several enquiries remained outstanding before a file would be submitted to the Coroner.

The confirmation brought an end to the huge search that had united Brantham and attracted people from much farther away.

Flowers, balloons, teddy bears and Bluey-themed tributes were later placed near the playground where Noah had last been seen.

“THE SWEETEST AND MOST INNOCENT LITTLE BOY”

Noah’s father later paid tribute to his son, describing him as “the sweetest and most innocent little boy” who had “nothing but love to give.”

Rhys said the family was “absolutely heartbroken” and thanked the emergency services, volunteers and strangers who had searched for Noah.

He said the compassion shown during the search had brought the family comfort and strength during the darkest time of their lives.

“Noah, you will be loved forever, you will never be forgotten,” his father wrote.

For more than a day, strangers across Suffolk searched for a little boy they had never met, hoping the next sighting would be the one that brought him home.

Instead, the CCTV images released during the search became a final record of Noah’s last known movements — and a heartbreaking reminder of how quickly an ordinary afternoon can change a family’s life forever.