Noah Woods, a three-year-old boy discovered deceased in a pond following an extensive search operation in Suffolk, had departed a play area "through a gap in the fence", the inquest held in Ipswich has learned.
An intensive search was launched in the village of Brantham after the young child disappeared on 15 September. His body was recovered the following day in adjacent water by police diving teams.
Assistant coroner Jyoti Gill characterised the death as "very sad and tragic" while opening and adjourning the inquest proceedings.
Suffolk Coroner's Court received evidence from police indicating that Noah had exited the playground before proceeding into a memorial garden via an unlocked gate. From there, he proceeded down a pathway on a recently constructed residential development in the direction of the nearby Decoy Pond.
What happens next?
The inquest has been adjourned, with further proceedings expected to continue as the investigation develops. The coroner will examine the circumstances surrounding the child's death and determine how he came to enter the water.
Key facts
- Noah Woods, aged three, went missing on 15 September in Brantham, Suffolk
- His body was found in Decoy Pond on 16 September by police divers
- The inquest heard he left the playground through a gap in the fence and entered a memorial garden through an open gate
- Assistant coroner Jyoti Gill described the death as "very sad and tragic"
