A multi-agency search operation is underway in Brantham, Suffolk, after three-year-old Noah Woods went missing from a playground on Tuesday afternoon. Emergency services and over 100 volunteers are conducting door-to-door inquiries, checking outbuildings, and using helicopters and drones to locate the child.
Police confirm Noah was last seen at approximately 3:00 PM BST on September 15, 2024, at Merriam Close playground. He became separated from a relative while leaving the park and ran down an alleyway toward a nearby new-build housing estate. Authorities describe him as white, with curly ginger hair, and note he is partially deaf, autistic, and non-verbal. Noah was wearing a white Bluey T-shirt, shorts, and black Vans trainers with a white stripe.
Suffolk Police have cordoned off the area and requested residents to check gardens, sheds, and outbuildings. HM Coastguard has deployed a helicopter, and Coastguard Rescue Teams from Felixstowe and Holbrook are assisting. Train services between Manningtree and Ipswich are operating at reduced speeds due to the search.
Suffolk Police Superintendent Pete Partridge stated: “We have deployed specially trained officers, including helicopters and drones, to assist with our search of the area today.” The force has also urged locals to review ring doorbell footage and report any sightings via 999 or their website.
Brantham Parish Council echoed the appeal, asking residents to check security camera footage from the afternoon. Over 100 people joined the search efforts on Tuesday evening, with a BBC reporter noting the helicopter was circling fields and woodland near the housing estate.
Police have not yet confirmed whether Noah has been located. Anyone with information is asked to contact Suffolk Police, quoting CAD 203 of 15 September, via 101, their website, or the Live Chat service on their official site.