Missing Baby, 11 Months, Found Alive After Surviving 24 Hours 'Buried Underground in Dog Crate by Father'
Koah Sharpe was discovered crying inside a buried dog crate after approximately 24 hours underground in Lexington County, South Carolina.
Nov. 11 2026, Published 12:45 p.m. ET
An 11-month-old boy who had been missing for more than a day was found alive after being buried in a dog crate in a wooded area of Lexington County, South Carolina, authorities said, RadarOnline can report.
Koah Sharpe was discovered around 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, November 10, inside a wire dog crate measuring approximately 2 feet by 2 feet.
Discovery of Koah Sharpe
The baby was inside a wire dog crate that was buried underground for 24 hours.
He was wrapped in a towel and buried in a shallow grave about one foot underground, roughly 50 yards into the woods near the home of his paternal grandfather.
Sheriff Jay Koon estimated the infant had been buried for about 24 hours, between 9 a.m. and noon on November 9. Nearly 100 officers, firefighters and other personnel took part in the search.
Searchers noticed freshly disturbed earth and pine straw; as they began digging, they heard the baby crying.
Koon described the moment as joyful: "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."
Koah Sharpe Was 'Screaming at the Top of his Lungs'
Sheriff Jay Koon said a towel around the crate likely created an air pocket that, along with cooler temperatures, helped the infant survive.
Authorities believe the towel wrapped around the crate may have created an air pocket that helped the infant survive.
Koon said, "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."
He added that cooler temperatures and other factors worked in the baby's favor: "A lot of things were going in Koah’s favor, and the good Lord looked down on him the last 24 hours."
Koah was "screaming at the top of his lungs" when found, which Koon called a positive sign. He was transported to a hospital; his precise condition was not immediately disclosed.
Koon said he hoped that, at 11 months old, the child "will not remember much of this as he grows older."
Michael Comer Arrest Details
Michael Comer was arrested on burglary and resisting-arrest charges before the baby was found; additional charges were under consideration.
Koah had been left in the care of his father, Michael Comer, 25, by the baby's paternal grandmother, Patricia Comer, on the morning of November 9 before she went to work.
By the time a caregiver arrived, both were gone.
Patricia said a friend who tried to drop off formula around 11 a.m. received no answer, prompting her to leave work because "something just did not feel right."
Comer was arrested late on the night of November 9 inside an outbuilding in Batesburg on charges of burglary and resisting arrest. Koah was not with him, and Comer provided little information about the baby’s whereabouts.
He remained in custody on November 10 as prosecutors considered additional charges.
Comer has a history of domestic-violence-related arrests and was recently placed on probation after a guilty plea to aggravated breach of peace.
Family Speaks Out
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Patricia Comer called her son’s alleged actions 'pure evil.'
Patricia said she never expected the alleged actions from her son, describing them as "pure evil."
She 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 if she could have prevented it, she would have done everything in her power and thanked law enforcement for finding the baby alive.
