Three-year-old Noah Woods, who died after going missing during a major search operation in Suffolk, exited a local playground through a gap in the fencing, an inquest was told.
Evidence presented at Ipswich Coroner’s Court revealed that after leaving the play area, Noah walked into a memorial garden, passed through an open gate, and ran along a path on a new housing estate toward Decoy Pond.
Det Ch Insp Matt Connick of Suffolk Police informed the court that CCTV footage captured Noah playing in the area with a relative nearby. Once he breached the fence, the relative attempted to chase after him but lost sight of the toddler shortly afterward.
The inquest heard that another man subsequently joined the search efforts, prompting police to be called. The ensuing operation involved more than 1,300 individuals, including emergency services personnel, community members, and volunteers.
Noah’s body was discovered on September 16 by Metropolitan Police divers in Decoy Pond, located near the River Stour estuary on the Suffolk-Essex border. He was found approximately five meters from the water’s edge, submerged among tree roots at a depth of 1.8 meters.
Assistant coroner Jyoti Gill described the incident as a “very sad and tragic death” while opening and adjourning the proceedings. She expressed her deepest condolences to Noah’s family and friends, though the hearing was not attended by relatives.
Paramedics confirmed Noah’s death at 16:31 BST on the day his body was recovered. His identity was formally established by his mother later that evening at Ipswich Hospital.
A post-mortem examination conducted at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge indicated that further investigation is required before a final conclusion on the cause of death can be reached. Police confirmed they are not treating the death as suspicious.
Noah, who lived in neighboring East Bergholt, was remembered by his father, Rhys Woods, as “the sweetest and most innocent little boy, with nothing but love to give.” Tributes, including teddy bears and framed photographs, have been left by the fence near the Brantham playground where he was last seen.
No date has yet been set for the full inquest.
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