Father Pleads for Help in Search for Missing 3-Year-Old Noah Woods
Hundreds of volunteers joined the search for the non-verbal, partially deaf child who vanished from a park in Brantham.
The father of a missing three-year-old boy has urged the public to continue searching, expressing his anguish at the thought of his son being alone.
Noah Woods, who is non-verbal and partially deaf, was last seen at 3 p.m. Tuesday after he ran ahead of his grandfather in an alleyway in the village of Brantham. As of Wednesday morning, there had been no confirmed sightings of the child.
Hundreds of members of the public, alongside emergency services, have been involved in the search efforts, which continued overnight. Noah's father, Rhys Woods, posted on Facebook asking for the public's help, stating that emergency services believe Noah is no longer in the immediate vicinity of where he disappeared.
"I cannot go another night knowing he's out there alone, please don't give up on him guys. He is out there somewhere and I appreciate every single one of you," Woods wrote. He asked those able to expand their search areas, as his son, who is mildly autistic, is capable of walking further.
Noah was last seen wearing a t-shirt with the cartoon character Bluey on it, shorts, and white trainers. The alleyway where he vanished leads to a new housing development, a local pond, and a railway line.
Great uncle Tony Malcolm described Noah as "a lovely little kid." Residents were asked to check their gardens, sheds, and outbuildings. A Coastguard helicopter was observed circling the village, and train services between Manningtree and Ipswich were slowed due to the ongoing searches.
Volunteers were instructed to rest overnight, but many continued searching. The Brantham Village Hall was open throughout the night to support those involved. The Brantham Parish Council reported an estimated "up to 1,000" locals joined the search.
Suffolk Lowland Search and Rescue used a boat to search a local pond, while police dog units and thermal imaging cameras were deployed overnight. Police urged the public to allow officers space to conduct their specialized searches, particularly in wooded areas, to avoid interfering with potential scent trails or thermal detection.
Suffolk Police are appealing for information regarding Noah's whereabouts and have asked anyone with any details to contact them. The HM Coastguard confirmed they are assisting Suffolk Constabulary with the incident.