Noah Woods, 3, was in the park on Merriam Close in Brantham when he disappeared. Now, police have confirmed that a body has been found during the search for the missing boy.

Three-year-old Noah Woods went missing from a playground in Suffolk at around 3 p.m. on Tuesday, September 15. Soon afterward, police released information stating that he was non-verbal, autistic and partially deaf.

A massive search operation was launched, with more than 1,300 members of the public joining the effort. Police have now confirmed that a body was found during the search.

A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police said: “A specialist diving team at the Met Police has been deployed to support Suffolk Police with the ongoing searches for missing boy Noah Woods,” according to LADbible.

Dive teams recovered the body from Decoy Pond, according to Supt. Tom Pearse.

“Formal identification has yet to take place, but the family of Noah Woods have been informed of this development,” he said.

“The discovery of the body is currently being treated as not suspicious but unexplained.”

Disappearance of Noah Woods

He went on: “First and foremost, our thoughts are with Noah’s family and all who knew him.

“Since Noah was reported as missing vast number of our officers and staff have been deployed in numerous functions in the search for Noah and support for his family.

“We’ve been supported by the National Police Air Service, Suffolk Hazardous Area Response Team, Suffolk Lowland Search and Rescue, Environment Agency, HM Coastguard, Fire and Rescue Service and the ambulance service.

“We have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of public support, people putting on their boots and helping us search.

“As a parent myself, I completely understand why people would want to help and such a response is one that typifies the strong sense of community and the heartwarming nature of Suffolk people that make the county such a special place.

“I am sure you appreciate the family now need time, space and privacy and I thank you for your understanding in this.”

The disappearance of Noah has shaken an entire community, bringing hundreds of people together in the desperate search to find him and bring him home.

As Noah’s family faces these heartbreaking news, our thoughts and prayers are with them, his loved ones and everyone who has been affected by this devastating case.

The announcement brought a painful change to a search that had drawn an extraordinary response from the community. More than 1,300 people had joined the effort described in the report, alongside the officers, specialist teams, emergency services, and volunteer organizations involved. The scale of that response reflects how urgently people wanted to help a young child and his family.

The police statement also makes a distinction that should be preserved: a body was recovered, and formal identification had not yet taken place at the time of the announcement. Noah’s family had been informed of the development. The description of the discovery as not suspicious but unexplained was the position given by police in that statement, rather than a complete explanation of what happened.

At the center of the announcement remains a family facing devastating news. The request for time, space, and privacy recognizes that public interest and a community’s wish to help must now be balanced with the family’s need to grieve and receive support away from speculation.