An 11-month-old South Carolina boy was found alive after deputies say he spent about a day buried in a dog crate in the woods, and his father is in jail.
Story Highlights
- Deputies say Koah Sharpe was taken by his father, Michael Comer, 25, and was found alive in a buried wire dog crate the next afternoon.
- Searchers spotted freshly disturbed dirt under pine straw about 50 yards into the woods and heard the baby crying as they dug.
- The sheriff said a towel wrapped around the crate likely trapped enough air for him to survive.
- Comer now faces attempted murder and other new charges, deputies said Wednesday, November 11. No motive has been released.
Deputies Hear Cries Under Freshly Dug Dirt
Koah Sharpe was taken by his father, Michael Comer, on Monday, November 9, deputies say, and was found alive on the afternoon of Tuesday, November 10, buried in a wire dog crate in the woods near Batesburg-Leesville in Lexington County. Sheriff Jay Koon said the boy had likely been underground for about 24 hours. Searchers found him about 50 yards into the woods behind the Parthenon Road home where Comer’s father lives, after they noticed pine straw and freshly disturbed dirt. Authorities have not released a motive.
“As you imagine, the race was on. Everybody’s getting down there trying to get him out,” Koon said. When searchers began digging, they heard Koah crying, which Koon called “the most joyful sound.” The top of the 2-foot-by-2-foot crate sat about a foot below the ground. Koon said a towel wrapped around the crate “probably created an air pocket,” and he also credited the cold weather.
A South Carolina infant who authorities say was taken by his father was found alive Tuesday, buried in a dog crate in the woods after apparently spending about 24 hours underground, officials said.https://t.co/hz0aCaJWnG
— Kelly Bainbridge (@KellyBainbridg6) November 11, 2026
How the Boy Went Missing
Koon said Koah was in the care of Comer’s mother on Monday, which happens often. She left the baby with Comer to run an errand while another caregiver was on the way. When that caregiver arrived, Comer and the baby were gone. A family member filed a missing-person report around 3 p.m. At the home where Comer’s father lives, deputies found the doors open and Koah’s belongings inside. No Amber Alert, the emergency public alert used for abducted children, was sent because Comer had no car, so there was no vehicle or license plate to share.
Before Koah was found, Comer’s mother, Patricia Comer, told reporters her son was a loving father who had never done anything to put the baby in danger. She said she “had a bad feeling that something was not right” when she called 911.
Father Arrested Before the Baby Was Found
Deputies found Comer around 10:30 p.m. Monday in an outbuilding at a Batesburg property that was not his, and arrested him. Koah was not with him. Video showed Comer at several places without the baby during the search, officials said. On Wednesday, November 11, deputies said Comer now faces attempted murder and other new charges. Comer is accused, not convicted, and he is being held at the Lexington County Detention Center, according to reports.
Court records show Comer was put on probation about a month before his arrest after pleading guilty to aggravated breach of peace, a South Carolina charge for a serious public disturbance, according to reports. Earlier in 2026, he was arrested on domestic violence and weapons-related counts. Koon referred to “some situations” between Comer and the child’s mother but did not tie them to a motive.
The Baby’s Condition
Koon said Koah was “clinging to life” when he was found, though he was “screaming at the top of his lungs,” which the sheriff called “a good thing in the baby world.” He was taken to a hospital, which officials have not named. He was released from the hospital that night and is expected to recover, according to reports. Koon said he hopes Koah “will not remember much of this as he grows older.”
A Search That Refused to Quit
Nearly 100 officers and public safety workers joined the search, along with the State Law Enforcement Division, the FBI and the ATF. They worked through the night and followed the smallest clue, a patch of freshly turned dirt, to a crying baby. “God is good,” Koon said. Strong local policing and a team that kept digging gave this little boy a chance. Protecting children and holding the guilty to account, once a court has ruled, must stay at the top of every community’s list.
Sources:
wbaltv.com, lexingtonscsheriff.com, wrdw.com, wach.com, bakersfieldnow.com, inforum.com