Overview
- Noah Woods went missing from a Merriam Close playground in Brantham on 15 September and Metropolitan Police divers recovered his body from Decoy Pond on 16 September.
- Detective Chief Inspector Matthew Connick told the inquest that motion‑activated CCTV showed Noah leave the under‑fives play area through a gap in the internal fence, pass into the Anita Rose memorial garden and head toward the pond while a relative followed and then lost sight of him.
- A large multi‑agency search involved police, HM Coastguard, fire and rescue teams, lowland search volunteers and about 1,300 members of the public before a Met Police diver found Noah about five metres from the bank in water estimated at 1.8 metres deep.
- Assistant Coroner Jyoti Gill opened and then adjourned the inquest while post‑mortem results are awaited and police continue inquiries; Suffolk Police say the death is not being treated as suspicious.
- Brantham Parish Council has had the gap in the playground fencing filled and a new gate latch fitted, the community has raised more than £112,000 for the family, and local leaders say they will cooperate with any further investigations which may prompt wider play‑area safety checks.