An 11-month-old boy who disappeared with his father in Lexington County, South Carolina, was found alive Tuesday afternoon inside a wire dog crate buried in the woods, roughly 24 hours after he was last seen. Koah Sharpe was located about 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, November 10, according to Lexington County Sheriff Jay Koon, who said the infant had been wrapped in a towel and placed in a shallow grave near the home of his paternal grandfather.
The baby’s father, 25-year-old Michael Comer, had been arrested the previous night on a burglary charge after deputies found him inside a structure in Batesburg. The child was not with him.
Searchers Heard Koah Sharpe Crying as They Dug
Koon told reporters that investigators returned to the area around the home of Comer’s father and spotted pine straw and what he described as “freshly disturbed dirt.” As crews began digging, they heard a sound from beneath the soil.
“So as you imagine, the race was on,” Koon said, as reported by WIS. “Everybody’s getting down there trying to get him out.”
Describing the moment the child was recovered, the sheriff said: “God is good. Just a few moments ago, we found little Koah Sharpe, 11 months old, buried alive, clinging to life, crying. The most joyful sound you ever heard of a crying baby, much like probably when your children were born.”
According to RadarOnline, the crate measured roughly 2 feet by 2 feet and was buried about one foot underground, approximately 50 yards into the woods. Nearly 100 officers, firefighters and other personnel took part in the search, the outlet reported.
How the Towel and the Crate May Have Kept Him Alive
Koon said the design of the crate, combined with the towel wrapped around it, appears to have left the infant with breathable air.
“It was buried and it was wrapped with a towel. So probably created an air pocket, if you can imagine,” the sheriff said when asked about the crate. “It was a, I call it a dog crate. It’s not, it’s not a, it’s got slat…wire slats. So it’s open and he took a towel and wrapped it.”
“That, by the grace of God, probably provided enough air for him to survive – our estimation is for the last 24 hours under that dirt.” — Sheriff Jay Koon
Koon said cooler temperatures also helped, telling reporters, “A lot of things were going in Koah’s favor, and the good Lord looked down on him the last 24 hours.” The sheriff estimated the child had been buried between 9 a.m. and noon on November 9. Koah was “screaming at the top of his lungs” when found, Koon said, which he called a positive sign. He added that he hoped the 11-month-old “will not remember much of this as he grows older.”
The infant was taken to a hospital. His precise condition was not immediately disclosed. Follow more breaking news coverage as the case develops.
The Morning Koah Sharpe Went Missing
Koon said Comer’s mother was caring for the child when Comer arrived at the home on Monday. She left Koah in his father’s care while another caregiver was en route.
“By the time the caregiver got there, Michael was gone and Koah was gone with him,” Koon said.
Other members of the family filed a missing persons report Monday afternoon. Deputies went to the nearby home of Comer’s father and found both doors open and the baby’s belongings inside, but no sign of either father or son.
The grandmother told RadarOnline that a friend who tried to drop off formula around 11 a.m. got no answer at the door, which prompted her to leave work because “something just did not feel right.” The two outlets give different surnames for her: WIS identifies her as Patricia Cromer, while RadarOnline names her as Patricia Comer.
Why No Amber Alert Was Issued
Investigators believe Comer moved between multiple locations across Lexington County on Monday, despite not having access to a vehicle. Koon said that is also the reason no Amber Alert was issued.
“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,” Koon explained Tuesday.
The sheriff said it is believed Comer asked people for rides to travel from place to place. Video footage placed him in the Batesburg-Leesville area, but without the baby.
Michael Comer Held in Custody as Charges Are Weighed
Deputies arrested Comer on Monday night after finding him in a shed on Columbia Avenue in Batesburg. WIS reported the arrest was on a burglary charge; RadarOnline reported he was arrested on charges of burglary and resisting arrest. Comer provided little information about the baby’s whereabouts, according to RadarOnline, and remained in custody Tuesday as prosecutors considered additional charges.
The arrest came just over a month after Comer was placed on probation following a guilty plea for aggravated breach of peace, according to public court and state records cited by WIS. Court records also show he had previous arrests earlier this year for domestic violence and a weapons-related charge.
Family Reaction to the Search for Koah Sharpe
Before the child was found, his grandmother rushed to the scene and waited for answers. She told WIS her son had mentioned taking Koah to New York but said she never thought anything like this would happen.
“I’m hurt. I’m heartbroken. I’m devastated,” she said. “He (Koah) is a wonderful child. He’s full of life. He don’t deserve to be out here like this.”
Speaking to RadarOnline, she described the alleged actions as “pure evil” and said: “Honestly, I’m his mother, and I never expected this from him. He’s always been so good with Koah. Who would think their own child would do something like this?” She added that she would have done everything in her power to prevent it and thanked law enforcement for finding the baby alive.
WIS described the case as a developing story. More crime and courts reporting is available on our news page.
