Three-year-old Noah Woods is believed to have drowned after leaving a children’s play area in Brantham, Suffolk, on Tuesday afternoon. His body was recovered from nearby Decoy Pond by police divers, bringing a large search operation involving emergency services and hundreds of volunteers to a tragic conclusion.

Noah’s father, Rhys Woods, described him as “the sweetest and most innocent little boy” and thanked everyone who helped search for him. Noah was non-verbal, partially deaf and undergoing autism assessments; nearly 400 floral tributes, toys, balloons and candles were left at the playground where he was last seen.