Three-year-old Noah Woods, who was found dead in a pond after a long search in Suffolk, had left a play area "through a gap in the fence", an inquest has heard.
The boy went missing on September 15, prompting a massive search operation, which involved volunteers, helicopters and dog units.
His body was found the following day in Decoy Pond by police divers.
While expressing sorrow over the tragic incident, Assistant coroner Jyoti Gill called Noah's death as a “very sad and tragic” case as she opened and adjourned the inquest in Ipswich.
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CCTV shows Noah Wood's movements
As per the CCTV footage, the Suffolk Police Detective Chief Inspector Matt Connick told the court that Noah was being looked after by a relative “as part of their normal routine.”
Noah had left the playground, walked into a memorial garden and passed it through an open gate. Later on, he was seen running down a path on a new housing estate towards nearby Decoy Pond.
The relative followed Noah aiming to catch him, but he went out of sight shortly afterwards. Another man also joined the search before police were contacted.
The court heard Noah was non-verbal and partially deaf at the time.
Noah Wood’s family pays tribute
Noah's family described him as a “happy, cheeky, playful” boy who loved laughing and exploring. They said he had mild hearing loss and speech delay and was being assessed for autism, although he had not received a diagnosis.
His mother urged other parents to “hold their children a little tighter” and cherish every moment.
Brantham Parish Council also released a statement, which reads, maintaining the play area at Merriam Close, said it was "deeply saddened by Noah's death and our thoughts remain with his family and all those affected at this extremely difficult time".
"The parish council understands that there was a break in the internal fencing, being constructed to separate the play area from the memorial garden, however the whole of the area at Merriam Close, including the play area and memorial garden are completely enclosed by appropriate perimeter fencing. The council will co-operate fully with any investigation and, while inquiries are ongoing, does not consider it appropriate to comment further," the statement added.
