Noah Woods left playground through gap in fence, inquest hears
An inquest has revealed that three-year-old Noah Woods died after wandering away from a playground through a gap in a fence. The toddler was found in a nearby pond in Suffolk following a major search operation.
Why it matters
The tragic incident highlights safety concerns regarding playground security and child supervision in public spaces.
Published 25 September 2026, 10:33 BST Updated Just now Noah Woods, the three-year-old boy who was found dead in a pond following a huge search in Suffolk, had left a play area "through a gap in the fence", an inquest in Ipswich has heard.
A major search was carried out in the village of Brantham after the toddler went missing on 15 September. His body was found the next day in nearby water by police divers.
Assistant coroner Jyoti Gill said it was a "very sad and tragic death" as she opened and adjourned the inquest.
Suffolk Coroner's Court heard from police that Noah had left the playground, walked into a memorial garden and left that through an open gate. He then ran down path on a new housing estate towards the nearby Decoy Pond.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in