Three-year-old Noah Woods went missing from Brantham, Suffolk, on September 15. More than 1,300 people joined the search for Noah. He was later found dead in a nearby pond, an inquest heard. His body was found the next day by police divers.
After leaving the play area, Noah ran along a path on a nearby housing estate towards Decoy Pond, the inquest heard. A relative followed him and called out to him, but Noah went out of sight shortly after. Another man then joined the search before police were called.
Assistant coroner Jyoti Gill called it a “very sad and tragic death” as she opened and then adjourned the inquest at Suffolk Coroner’s Court in Ipswich, as per BBC. Suffolk Police told the court that CCTV footage showed Noah in a play area being looked after by a relative, calling it “part of a normal routine,” as per Det Ch Insp Matt Connick’s statement to BBC. Connick said Noah then “left through a gap in the fence leading to the memorial garden where he left through an open gate.
Brantham Parish Council, which looks after the play area at Merriam Close, said it was “deeply saddened by Noah’s death” and that its “thoughts remain with his family and all those affected at this extremely difficult time,” according to a statement.
A post-mortem examination was carried out at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge. Police are not treating Noah’s death as suspicious.
The court was told this “requires further investigation” before the final cause of death can be confirmed.
