The father of three-year-old Noah Woods has shared a deeply moving tribute after police confirmed the body found in a pond was his son.
Noah goes missing from playground
Noah vanished around 3pm on Tuesday, 15 September 2026, from a playground in Merriam Close, Brantham, Suffolk. He became separated from a relative while playing. The little boy was non-verbal, partially deaf and undergoing tests for autism.
A huge search quickly followed. More than 1,300 people from the local area and beyond joined police, fire crews, coastguard teams and specialist divers. Helicopters searched from the air as volunteers checked fields, woodland and paths near the River Stour.
Body discovered in nearby pond
On Wednesday afternoon, dive teams recovered a child’s body from Decoy Pond, a short distance from the playground. Suffolk Police said the death was unexplained but not treated as suspicious. Formal identification confirmed the body was Noah.
Father’s emotional tribute
On Thursday, Noah’s father Rhys Woods posted on Facebook. He wrote that the family was “absolutely heartbroken.” “Noah was the sweetest and most innocent little boy with nothing but love to give and we are going to miss him so very much,” he said.
Rhys thanked everyone who searched. He said Noah had “made an impact across the whole nation” and that the compassion shown brought the family comfort “at the darkest time of our lives.”
He added that they had hoped Noah was simply hiding somewhere obvious. The message ended with love from Noah’s daddy, mummy and little brother.
“Noah, you will be loved forever, you will never be forgotten and we miss you so so much. It has been a privilege to be your parents and be able to have packed so much love in the short three years you were with us.”
Tributes of flowers and messages have been left at the playground. A fundraiser set up to support the family has raised tens of thousands of pounds. The village of Brantham continues to mourn the loss of its little boy.
