Search continues in England for missing three-year-old boy with autism
A large-scale search operation is now in its second day in Suffolk, England, for a three-year-old boy with autism who went missing from a play area. Police say there is no indication of any wrongdoing.
A major search operation has entered its second day in the village of Brantham, Suffolk, for three-year-old Noah Woods, who is autistic, non-verbal and partially deaf. Noah disappeared on Tuesday afternoon after becoming separated from a relative during a visit to a local play area. Police have warned that he will not respond if his name is called.
Superintendent Tom Pearse of Suffolk police said the case is currently being treated as a missing person investigation, with nothing so far indicating anything sinister or criminal, though officers are keeping an open mind about the circumstances.
Police have released CCTV stills and footage showing Noah in the play area shortly before he vanished. He is believed to have run down an alleyway next to the playground toward a nearby new housing development. The surrounding area includes woodland, a pond, a river and a railway line.
Hundreds of volunteers have joined police, fire crews, coastguard and search-and-rescue teams in the effort, which is using sniffer dogs, a helicopter and thermal imaging, alongside CCTV reviews and door-to-door inquiries. Noah's father has appealed on social media for volunteers to widen the search area and not to give up hope.
Police are asking anyone helping to register at the coordination centre and to avoid searching near the railway or open water themselves, as these require specialist expertise. Personal drones are also discouraged, as they could interfere with official search equipment. Residents with private CCTV or dashcam footage from Tuesday afternoon onward are being asked to check it for possible sightings of the boy.
