NOAH DISAPPEARED. 1,300 PEOPLE HUNTED FOR HIM. THEN POLICE MADE THE HEARTBREAKING CONFIRMATION.

Three-year-old Noah Woods vanished after a visit to a playground in Brantham.

For more than 24 hours, 1,300 people searched desperately for the missing toddler.

Then specialist divers entered Decoy Pond.

A child’s body was recovered from the water.

Police have now formally confirmed the identity.

It was Noah.

The three-year-old was last seen at around 2:37 p.m. on September 15, after becoming separated from a relative. CCTV showed him running down an alleyway before disappearing from sight.

The search quickly grew into a huge operation involving police officers, search dogs, helicopters, firefighters, coastguard crews, specialist volunteers and Metropolitan Police divers.

People searched through streets, fields and waterways, hoping each hour would bring Noah home alive.

Instead, the search ended at the pond.

Suffolk Constabulary says Noah’s death is not being treated as suspicious, although the circumstances remain unexplained and further enquiries are continuing for the coroner.

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

Now the playground where Noah was last seen has become a place of mourning, with flowers, toys and messages left for the three-year-old.

For more than a day, thousands searched for an answer. The answer has now broken a community’s heart.