The family of three-year-old Noah Woods has shared an emotional tribute following an inquest into his tragic death after he disappeared from a playground in Suffolk. Noah went missing on September 15 after becoming separated from a relative at a play area in Merriam Close, Brantham. More than 1,300 members of the local community joined the search, but the toddler was later found by Metropolitan Police divers in Decoy Pond, approximately five metres from the bank and beneath submerged tree roots. Noah’s father, Rhys Woods, described his son as the “sweetest and most innocent little boy” who had “nothing but love to give,” adding that the family would miss him deeply. A separate statement from Noah’s family described him as a happy, playful three-year-old who loved to laugh and was at the heart of his family’s world. The family said Noah had been undergoing an autism assessment but had not received a diagnosis, while he also had mild hearing loss and was speech-delayed. They said he had nevertheless been learning new words and had only recently begun finding and using his voice.

During the inquest, Detective Chief Inspector Matthew Connick explained that Noah had been with relatives as part of a normal routine when he visited the playground. CCTV showed him playing before he left through a gap in a fence leading toward a memorial garden and then through an open gate in the direction of Decoy Pond. A relative followed closely behind, while the family shouted after Noah, but he disappeared from view after around 200 metres. Police later confirmed that his body had been recovered from the water. Suffolk Police have said Noah’s death was not being treated as suspicious. Assistant coroner Jyoti Gill described the case as a “very sad and tragic death” and offered her condolences to Noah’s loved ones. His mother, Charlie, urged people to cherish their children and hold them close, saying families should never take precious moments or memories for granted. The inquest has now been adjourned to a date yet to be fixed, leaving Noah’s family to grieve the loss of a young child they described as being at the centre of their world.