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The father of Noah Woods has said the three-year-old "will be loved forever" and no words can describe the pain of the family's loss.
Noah disappeared from a playground in Brantham, Suffolk, at about 15:00 BST on Tuesday after becoming separated from a relative.
At least 1,300 people helped to try to find him in the following 24 hours, before a child's body was discovered on Wednesday afternoon at a nearby pond.
"Noah was the sweetest and most innocent little boy, with nothing but love to give, and we are going to miss him so very much," his father Rhys Woods wrote in a post on Facebook.
"This was the most heartbreaking outcome for us, we were just hoping that he would be hiding somewhere obvious where someone could find him, that's what we kept telling ourselves the whole time."
People from as far afield as Birmingham and Hampshire turned up to help with the search for Noah, who was from East Bergholt.
Helicopters, dog units and members of the public had been scouring the area, close to the River Stour on the Suffolk-Essex border.
Reflecting on the community response, Woods said: "It seems he has made an impact across the whole nation, you have all taken Noah into you're own hearts, with all the overwhelming help, we were all just trying to bring him home to us safe and sound."
He thanked everyone who came together to search for "our boy" - listing emergency services, businesses and venues in the village - and "all of the people who gave up their time in their busy schedules to help us when we most needed it".
"The compassion shown by all of you will never be forgotten by us, and brought us comfort and strength at the darkest time of our lives," the post added.
"With our love and deepest gratitude, from his daddy and mummy and little brother."
He finished the post by addressing his son.
"Noah, you will be loved forever, you will never be forgotten and we miss you so so much.
"It has been a privilege to be your parents and be able to have packed so much love in the short three years you were with us."
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