LEXINGTON, SC — An 11-month-old boy reported missing after his father took him Monday was found alive Tuesday in a dog crate buried in a shallow hole in South Carolina, in what Lexington County Sheriff Bryan Koon called a joyful rescue. Koah Sharpe was discovered wrapped in a towel and still crying when searchers uncovered the crate in woods near his grandfather’s home, according to authorities.
Koon said the baby likely survived because the towel created an air pocket and because the weather remained cool enough to help him over roughly the last 24 hours underground. The child was taken to a hospital Tuesday afternoon and was receiving care, while investigators continued working with prosecutors on possible charges against Michael Comer, the boy’s father.
How deputies say the child disappeared Monday morning
According to the sheriff’s office, Koah was with his father’s mother, Patricia Comer, on Monday morning when Michael Comer arrived. Patricia Comer said she left for work and expected another caregiver to take over, but by the time that person arrived, Michael Comer and the baby were gone.
She later told reporters that a friend came by around 11 a.m. with formula and found nobody answering the door, which led her to leave work and return home. When she got there, she said, Michael Comer had already left with Koah. The child was then reported missing, triggering a large search across the area.
Deputies found the father in an outbuilding, but not the baby
Michael Comer was arrested late Monday in Lexington County on a burglary charge after authorities found him in an outbuilding, the sheriff’s office said. Koah was not with him at the time. Deputies also went to Comer’s father’s home and found doors open and baby items inside, but no sign of the missing child or his father.
Koon said the family home and nearby property became the focus of the search as officials tried to determine where the baby had been taken. By Tuesday, investigators were still piecing together the timeline and location of the child’s disappearance, while multiple agencies joined the effort to find him alive.
Nearly 100 responders joined the search through woods near the home
The search widened quickly, with nearly 100 police officers, firefighters and other officials taking part, Koon said. The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, the FBI and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives also assisted in looking for the child.
Searchers eventually found a disturbed area about 50 yards into nearby woods not far from Comer’s father’s house. Koon said officers began probing the ground and then digging, at which point they heard the baby crying. He described the moment as a race to reach Koah and get him medical help as quickly as possible.
A buried wire crate, a towel and a narrow path to survival
Authorities said the crate was a wire dog crate measuring about 2 feet by 2 feet and buried in a shallow hole. Koon said the towel wrapped around it likely helped preserve air inside the container. He also said the cool weather may have improved the child’s chances of surviving while he was underground.
The sheriff said the boy was screaming when rescuers reached him, which he described as a good sign in a baby’s world. Koah was taken to a hospital, where he was being cared for Tuesday afternoon. Koon said he hoped the child would make a full recovery after what he estimated was about 24 hours beneath the dirt.
Family reaction turns to shock, blame and relief
Patricia Comer said she was stunned by the accusations against her son and called his custody status the right place for him at the moment. She said she never expected this from him, even though Koah’s mother had full custody of the child and would allow Patricia Comer to watch the baby on weekends.
She also said there was no custody agreement preventing Michael Comer from being alone with the child, and that he had done so before without problems. Patricia Comer described her son’s actions as “pure evil,” said she felt hurt by people blaming her, and insisted she would have tried to prevent the incident if she had known what would happen.
Investigators prepare charges as the baby remains under care
Koon said authorities were working with the prosecutor’s office on charges connected to the case. It was not immediately clear whether Michael Comer had an attorney who could speak for him. The sheriff did not provide additional details about how the baby came to be buried or how long investigators believe he was underground before being found.
For Patricia Comer, the outcome was one of relief mixed with disbelief. She thanked the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department and the other agencies involved in the search, saying she was grateful her grandson was found alive. Koon, meanwhile, said several things had gone Koah’s way, but credited the rescue to both luck and divine intervention.
