Crime · 16 September, 2026 · 2 min read
Police Recover Noah Woods’ Body From Pond After He Disappears From Brantham Playground
Body recovered from Decoy Pond in Brantham during the search. Noah Woods disappeared from Merriam Close Playground in Brantham on Tuesday.
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Body found in Decoy Pond
Police confirmed they had found a body in the search for missing three-year-old Noah Woods in Brantham, Suffolk, after he disappeared from a playground in Merriam Close at about 15:00 BST on Tuesday.
“dive teams recovered the body of a child from a nearby pond”
Supt Tom Pearse said dive teams recovered the body of a child from a nearby pond, and he told reporters, "The discovery of the body is currently being treated as not suspicious but unexplained."
The search had been triggered after Noah became separated from a relative, and police said he was autistic, non-verbal and partially deaf.
BBC reported that at least 1,300 members of the public helped in the search, with helicopters, dog units and members of the public scouring the area close to the estuary of the River Stour on the Essex border.
The BBC also said divers from the Metropolitan Police were called in to search Decoy Pond, a nearby fishing lake about 350 yds (320m) away from the playground where Noah was last seen.
Pearse and the public
As the search unfolded, Supt Tom Pearse delivered updates at Brantham Leisure Centre and said formal identification had yet to take place, but Noah’s family had been informed.
Pearse told the public, "Our thoughts are with Noah's family and all those who knew him," and he said police had been "overwhelmed by the outpouring of public support".
The BBC described how volunteer efforts were coordinated from Brantham Leisure Centre and the village hall, which ran out of hi-vis vests due to the number of volunteers.
Michael Crowley, who was working opposite the playground on Tuesday and was one of the last people to see Noah before he went missing, said, "He looked happy and healthy as anything."
Jessica Gammons, a mother-of-two from Kelvedon, said she felt compelled to join the search because her son is three, telling reporters, "If this was my son, I'd want everyone possible to help."
What police said next
Police said the death was being treated as unexplained but not suspicious, while they awaited forensic exams to clarify how the tragic accident occurred.
“"for the time being, the death is being investigated as an inexplicable event”
In a statement carried by Aire de Santa Fe, British security forces indicated that, "for the time being, the death is being investigated as an inexplicable event and they ruled out signs of criminality," awaiting forensic results.
The Independent en Español reported that Superintendent Tom Pearse said there was "no explanation for the discovery" and that it was "not being treated as a suspected crime," while asking the public to give the family "time, space and privacy."
The search had also involved residents checking gardens, sheds and private security cameras, with police urging people to review footage from 3pm Tuesday onwards for any potential sightings.
Sky News said the body was recovered from Decoy Pond near the play area in Merriam Close, and it noted that Noah would not have responded to his name if called, complicating the search as helicopters and dog units were deployed.