The father of three-year-old Noah Woods has spoken publicly as new details from the search reveal just how quickly the child disappeared — and how investigators reconstructed his final known movements.

Noah vanished on September 15 after becoming separated from a relative near a playground in Brantham, Suffolk. Police later released CCTV showing him at the park at about 2:37 p.m., before he was believed to have run down an alley toward a nearby housing estate. Investigators asked residents to check gardens, sheds, home cameras and dashcam footage while specialist teams searched surrounding areas.

As the search continued into the night, Noah’s father, Rhys Woods, issued an emotional appeal to the public. He urged volunteers not to give up and asked them to expand the search farther from the playground, saying he could not bear the thought of another night with his son alone somewhere outside.

The operation quickly became massive. Police dog units, specialist search officers, helicopters, coastguard personnel and other emergency services were deployed, while roughly 1,300 members of the public joined the effort. Officers said there was nothing at that stage to suggest criminal involvement, but they kept an open mind while examining every possible route Noah could have taken.

The case then took a tragic turn on September 16 when specialist teams recovered the body of a child from Decoy Pond, close to the search area. Police later confirmed the child was Noah. Authorities said the death was not being treated as suspicious, though inquiries were still being completed before a file would be sent to the coroner.

Rhys later described Noah as the “sweetest and most innocent little boy” and said the family was completely heartbroken. Community support continued after the search ended, with thousands of people donating more than £95,000 to help Noah’s family with expenses and time away from work.