.svg)
A fundraising campaign for the family of three-year-old Noah Woods has raised more than £105,000 following the discovery of the boy’s body in a pond in Suffolk.
Noah, who was non-verbal and partially deaf and was awaiting an autism assessment, was reported missing on Tuesday after he ran away from a relative during a visit to a playground in Brantham.
The young boy was last seen heading towards an area of woodland. His disappearance prompted a major search operation involving police officers, firefighters, coastguard personnel, specialist diving teams, search-and-rescue volunteers and search dogs. Around 1,300 volunteers also joined efforts to find him.
On Wednesday afternoon, police confirmed that a body believed to be Noah had been recovered from nearby Decoy Pond, around 250 yards from where he was last seen.
Police said the circumstances surrounding his death remain unexplained, but the death is not being treated as suspicious.
Following the discovery, the Good Dads Club, a community group established for fathers and their children in neighbouring Essex, launched a fundraising appeal to support Noah’s family during their bereavement.
The campaign has now raised more than £105,000, with thousands of people contributing to help Noah’s parents, Rhys Woods and Charlie Peck, manage expenses and take time away from work while grieving the loss of their son.
The organisers said the family had been informed about the fundraising effort and were extremely grateful for the public support. They said the campaign was initially expected to raise a modest amount but received a much larger response from people who had followed the search for Noah.
Noah’s father previously described his son as “the sweetest and most innocent little boy” and said the family was devastated by his death.
In a statement shared on social media, Mr Woods thanked members of the public, local residents, volunteers and emergency services who helped during the search.
He said the family had hoped Noah would be found safe and that the compassion shown by people across the country had given them comfort during an extremely painful time.
Ipswich Town players also paid tribute to Noah, with club captain Dara O’Shea laying flowers and defender Leif Davis donating £2,000 to the fundraising campaign.
The circumstances of Noah’s death remain under investigation, while police continue to treat the case as unexplained rather than suspicious.
