A body has been found in the search for missing Noah Woods, police have confirmed.
Police said dive teams recovered the body of a child in a lake near to where the three-year-old boy was last seen.
Noah, a partially deaf and non-verbal boy, disappeared on Tuesday afternoon at about 3pm after visiting a playground in Brantham, Suffolk.
He was said to have become separated from a relative as they left the area after reportedly running off down an alleyway and out of sight.
A huge search operation had been launched including over 1,300 members of the public.
Superintendent Tom Pearse, from Suffolk Constabulary, said on Wednesday: “Dive teams this afternoon have sadly found a body of a child in Decoy Pond in Brantham.
“Formal identification is yet to take place. The family of Noah Woods has been informed of these developments.
“The discovery of the body is currently being treated as not suspicious but unexplained. The coroner will be informed of this development.”
Police had earlier cordoned off Decoy Pond, a large fishing lake, nearby as dive teams were dispatched to the scene.
Specially trained officers and dog units have been searching the village, located near the estuary of the River Stour, since Tuesday afternoon.
They have been supported by helicopters from the National Police Air Service and HM Coastguard, with further support on the ground provided by the Coastguard, Suffolk Fire & Rescue Service, Suffolk Lowland Search & Rescue and the vast number of members of the public.
CCTV has been released by Suffolk Police showing Noah in the play park at 2.37pm, some 20 minutes before he then disappeared.
Supt Pearse added: “First and foremost, our thoughts are with Noah’s family and all those who knew them. Since Noah was reported missing, vast number of our officers and staff have been deployed in numerous functions in the search for Noah, and the support for his family.
“We have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of public support and people putting on their boots to help us with the search.
“As a parent myself, I completely understand why people would want to help, and such a response is one that typifies the strong sense of community and the heartwarming nature of Suffolk people that make the county such a special place.
“I’m sure you appreciate that the family now need time, space, and privacy, and I thank you for your understanding of this.”
