Dad of Noah Woods, 3, shares heartbreaking statement after son’s body was discovered
The father of Noah Woods has spoken out after a child was discovered dead yesterday after going missing on Tuesday (15 September), confirming in a Facebook post that the little boy is his son.
The three-year-old toddler disappeared from sight in a playground near their home in Brantham, Suffolk, with police launching a major search operation across the subsequent 27 hours.
Hundreds joined the search to find Noah following his father's heartbreaking plea for him to be brought home safely, but it was confirmed yesterday that police had discovered a body in the nearby Decoy Pond.
Now Noah's father Rhys has spoken out for the first time since his son was formally identified, writing that he hoped his son was simply hiding somewhere.
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Posting on Facebook, Rhys wrote: "As I’m sure you have all seen, the body that was found in Decoy pond is our little Noah.
"There are no words to describe the pain of this loss, we are all absolutely heartbroken, Noah was the sweetest and most innocent little boy, with nothing but love to give, and we are going to miss him so very much.
"It seems he has made an impact across the whole nation, you have all taken Noah into you’re own hearts, with all the overwhelming help, we were all just trying to bring him home to us safe and sound.
"A heartfelt thank you to everyone in our community (even far and wide) who came together to search for our boy, including: Suffolk, Norfolk, Met police forces, HM coastguard, Suffolk lowland, Fire service, Ambulance service, RTT catering, brantham leisure centre, Brantham village hall, local businesses, ST Michael’s church, private K-9 units, and so many more, and all of the people who gave up their time in their busy schedules to help us when we most needed it.
"The compassion shown by all of you will never be forgotten by us, and brought us comfort and strength at the darkest time of our lives.
"This was the most heartbreaking outcome for us, we were just hoping that he would be hiding somewhere obvious where someone could find him, that’s what we kept telling ourselves the whole time,
"With our love and deepest gratitude. From his daddy and mummy and little brother, Noah, you will be loved forever, you will never be forgotten and we miss you so so much, it has been a privilege to be your parents and be able to have packed so much love in the short three years you were with us."
Suffolk Police told LADbible that they are not in a position to comment on whether they have done a formal identification of the body, but will release an update this afternoon.
After the body was discovered (16 September), Superintendent Tom Pearse said: “First and foremost our thoughts are with Noah’s family and all who knew him.
“Since Noah was reported as missing, vast numbers 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 Norfolk Constabulary, the Metropolitan Police, British Transport Police, the National Police Air Service, Suffolk HART, SULSAR, 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 heart-warming 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.”
A fundraiser set up to support the family has already raised over £40,000 at the time of writing.
Topics: UK News
James Moorhouse