Three-year-old Noah Woods found dead in pond after leaving playground through fence gap

Noah Woods, a three-year-old boy from East Bergholt, Suffolk, died after leaving a playground in Brantham on 15 September through a gap in the fence. An inquest heard on 25 September that Noah had been in the care of a relative at the under-fives play area at Merriam Close when he left through the fence, entered a memorial garden via an open gate, and then ran towards nearby Decoy Pond.

CCTV footage showed Noah playing in the park at 2.13 pm, with his last sighting at 2.37 pm. Detective Chief Inspector Matt Connick from Suffolk Police told the inquest that after leaving the play area, Noah was closely followed by the relative trying to keep up with him. The relative shouted after Noah, but he went out of sight after approximately 200 metres. Another man joined the search before police were called, triggering a large-scale search operation.

Metropolitan Police divers recovered Noah's body from Decoy Pond on the afternoon of 16 September, approximately five metres from the bank within submerged tree roots at a depth of 1.8 metres. A post-mortem examination at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge recorded the cause of death as pending further investigation. Police confirmed Noah's death was not being treated as suspicious. Noah was non-verbal, partially deaf, and undergoing assessment for autism. At least 1,300 members of the public participated in the search effort.

Assistant Coroner Jyoti Gill described the death as "very sad and tragic" and opened and adjourned the inquest in Ipswich. A full inquest date has not yet been set. In a written family tribute, Noah's mother, Charlie Peck, described him as a "happy, cheeky, playful" boy and urged other parents to "hold their children a little tighter and cherish every moment". His father, Rhys Woods, paid tribute to his son as "the sweetest and most innocent little boy". Everton Football Club players wore black armbands during their home match against Ipswich Town on 21 September in tribute to Noah.

Brantham Parish Council, which maintains the play area, stated it was "deeply saddened by Noah's death" and acknowledged "a break in the internal fencing" that was being constructed to separate the play area from the memorial garden, though it noted the entire area was enclosed by appropriate perimeter fencing. The council said it would cooperate fully with any investigation.