An eleven-month-old infant was discovered alive in South Carolina after reportedly being buried underground inside a dog crate for approximately 24 hours, according to authorities who made the announcement on Tuesday.
The baby, identified as Koah Sharp, had been reported missing since Monday following his disappearance with his father, Michael Comer, as confirmed by the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department. Investigators determined that Comer had traveled to several locations throughout Lexington County before being apprehended by county deputies on Monday night on a burglary charge. Notably, the infant was not in his possession at the time of his arrest.
Sheriff Jay Koon revealed at a press conference that Sharp was ultimately located inside the crate, which had been wrapped in a towel and buried approximately 50 yards from the residence of his paternal grandfather. Nearly 100 law enforcement and public safety officers had been conducting an extensive search of the surrounding area since the infant’s disappearance. During the search, one group of officers identified what Sheriff Koon described as a patch of “freshly disturbed dirt” within a wooded area.
As officers began excavating the site, they could hear Sharp crying from beneath the ground, Koon confirmed.
“So, as you imagine, the race was on. Everybody’s getting down there, trying to get him out,” the sheriff stated.
Upon recovering the infant, officers found Sharp “clinging to life,” according to Koon, who described the baby’s cries as “the most joyful sound you ever heard of a crying baby.”
Sharp was transported immediately to a nearby hospital to receive the necessary medical attention.
Sheriff Koon further explained that on Monday, Sharp had been in the care of his grandmother, Patricia Comer. Michael Comer had remained at her residence with the baby while she briefly stepped out to run an errand. Upon the arrival of a scheduled caregiver shortly thereafter, it became apparent that Comer had left the premises with his son.
CBS affiliate WLTX reported that upon learning the infant had been found alive, Patricia Comer leaped from her vehicle and exclaimed, “He’s alive!”
At the time of Tuesday’s press conference, the investigation remained in its early stages. Sheriff Koon indicated that his department was actively collaborating with the solicitor’s office to determine what criminal charges, if any, would be pursued in connection with the case.
According to the Associated Press, which cited Lexington County court records, Comer had previously been sentenced to probation in October after pleading guilty to domestic violence and aggravated breach-of-peace charges stemming from an arrest in July. As part of the plea agreement, prosecutors agreed to drop a related gun charge.
