LEXINGTON COUNTY, S.C. — Authorities in South Carolina say an 11-month-old baby survived after investigators believe his father buried him alive inside a dog crate.
The child, Koah Sharpe, was discovered alive on Tuesday afternoon, more than 24 hours after he was last seen with his father, 25-year-old Michael Comer.
Lexington County Sheriff Jay Koon said the baby was found inside a dog crate buried underground and wrapped in a towel.
“By the grace of God, [it] probably provided enough air for him to survive an estimated 24 hours under that dirt,” Koon said.
According to the sheriff, Koah had been under the care of his grandmother when Comer arrived at the home on Monday. She later left the baby with his father while another caregiver was on the way.
However, by the time the caregiver arrived, both Comer and Koah had disappeared.
“By the time the caregiver got there, Michael was gone and Koah was gone with him,” Koon explained.
Other family members reported the baby missing on Monday afternoon. Authorities subsequently searched the nearby home of Comer’s father. Both doors were found open, and Koah’s belongings were still there, but neither Comer nor the child could be located.
Investigators believe Comer traveled to several places throughout Lexington County that Monday. However, because he did not have access to a vehicle, authorities were unable to issue an Amber Alert.
“To be able to issue an Amber Alert, you have to have a known description of a car and a license plate to put that out,” Sheriff Koon explained on Tuesday.
Authorities believe Comer may have asked other people for rides as he moved between locations. Surveillance footage also suggested that he had been in the Batesburg-Leesville area, although the baby was not seen with him.
Police eventually located Comer hiding inside a shed in Batesburg on Monday night. He was arrested on a burglary charge, but Koah was nowhere to be found.
The search for the missing baby continued into Tuesday, involving local, state, and federal agencies.
A major breakthrough came when investigators returned to an area near Comer’s father’s home. They noticed pine straw and what appeared to be freshly disturbed soil.
When officers began digging, they heard something that immediately changed the situation.
It was Koah crying beneath the ground.
“So, as you imagine, the race was on,” Koon said. “Everybody’s getting down there trying to get him out.”
Rescuers quickly worked to reach the baby and bring him out of the buried crate.
According to the sheriff, investigators believe Koah had been underground for approximately 24 hours. The dog crate had been wrapped in a towel, which may have created a small air pocket and helped him survive.
“It [the dog crate] was buried, and it was wrapped with a towel. So probably created an air pocket, if you can imagine,” Koon said.
After being rescued, Koah was taken to a hospital, where he was receiving medical treatment as of Tuesday afternoon.
Meanwhile, Comer remained in custody following his arrest.
The case has also drawn attention to Comer’s previous legal history. According to public court and state records, his arrest came just over a month after he was placed on probation following a guilty plea to aggravated breach of peace.
Court records also indicate that he had been arrested earlier in the year in connection with domestic violence and a separate weapons-related charge.
Authorities have not yet provided further details about the baby’s medical condition or the circumstances surrounding the alleged burial.
