BATESBURG, SC — A South Carolina baby was found alive Tuesday after deputies say his father buried him in a dog crate in the woods and left him underground for about a day. The Lexington County Sheriff’s Office said 11-month-old Koah Sharpe was discovered after a search team noticed fresh dirt and pine straw near a home tied to the child’s family.
Sheriff Jay Koon said investigators heard the baby crying as they began to dig. Officers then pulled Koah from the ground and rushed him to a hospital. Koon said the child was screaming as rescuers reached him, describing the sound as a moment of relief after an urgent search that drew nearly 100 law enforcement and public safety personnel.
Authorities say the child disappeared after his father arrived at a family home
Investigators said Koah had been in the care of his paternal grandmother on Monday when his father, Michael Comer, came to the home. Koon said the grandmother left to run an errand, and another caregiver was on the way to take over. By the time that person arrived, Comer and the baby were gone.
Deputies were called around lunchtime, and the search quickly widened. Koon said investigators went to a property where Comer’s father lives and found the doors open, the baby’s belongings inside and no sign of the child or his father. The sheriff said the early evidence suggested the pair had left in a hurry, raising concern that the baby may have been handed off to someone else.
Video and arrests pointed deputies toward Batesburg that night
As the search continued Monday, investigators obtained video that showed Comer at multiple locations without Koah, according to Koon. That deepened fears that the baby was no longer with him and could be in danger.
Later that night, deputies found Comer in an outbuilding at a property in Batesburg and arrested him on a burglary charge, Koon said. Koah was not with him when officers took him into custody. Comer was also charged with resisting arrest, and investigators said they are working with prosecutors on additional charges that could be filed in the case.
Search crews found disturbed dirt and heard crying underground
The rescue came after investigators focused again on the area near Comer’s father’s home. Koon said a search team noticed pine straw that had been disturbed and fresh dirt roughly 50 yards into the woods. That discovery led officers to dig at the spot.
When they started breaking into the ground, they heard Koah crying. Koon said the baby had apparently been buried in a dog crate wrapped in a towel, and investigators believed he may have been underground for about 24 hours. The sheriff said the towel likely helped create an air pocket inside the crate, which may have kept the child alive long enough for rescuers to reach him.
The rescue brought relief after nearly a full day of uncertainty
Koon said the search became more urgent as the hours passed and no one came forward with the child. He described the period before the rescue as a growing race against time, with deputies hoping Comer had simply left the baby with another person. When that did not happen, officers and other crews kept searching through the night and into Tuesday.
The sheriff said the moment rescuers heard Koah crying changed everything. Once the baby was removed from the buried crate, officers described him as screaming at the top of his lungs. He was taken to a hospital for care after the rescue, while investigators continued sorting out how the case unfolded and what charges Comer may face next.
What investigators have said so far about the case
So far, the Lexington County Sheriff’s Office has described the case as a fast-moving search that ended with an unexpected rescue. Authorities have not said publicly how Comer allegedly transported the baby to the wooded area or how long he remained there before deputies found him. They also have not released details on the child’s condition after arriving at the hospital.
What is clear from the sheriff’s account is that the search involved a broad response, a late-night arrest and a tip from disturbed ground that led officers to the child. The case now centers on the investigation into Comer’s actions before and after Koah disappeared, along with any additional criminal charges prosecutors may decide to pursue.
