BATESBURG-LEESVILLE, SC. (THECOUNT) — Koah Sharpe, an 11-month-old boy who disappeared while in his father’s care, was found alive Tuesday afternoon buried inside a wire dog crate in a wooded area of Lexington County, South Carolina. Authorities believe the infant had been underground for approximately 24 hours. His father, Michael Comer, 25, was arrested Monday night on burglary and resisting arrest charges.
The search for Koah began Monday, November 9, after Comer allegedly left with the child while he was being cared for by his paternal grandmother, Patricia Comer. According to Lexington County Sheriff Bryan “Jay” Koon, Patricia had left to run an errand while another caregiver was expected to arrive. When that caregiver showed up, both Michael and Koah were gone.
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Family members reported the child missing Monday afternoon. Deputies later went to the home of Michael Comer’s father, where they found the doors open and the baby’s belongings inside, but no sign of either Michael or Koah.
Investigators determined that Comer had traveled to several locations around Lexington County. He was located late Monday night inside an outbuilding in the Batesburg area and arrested. Koah was not with him.
Nearly 100 law enforcement officers, firefighters and other public safety personnel joined the search, with assistance from the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, FBI and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
The breakthrough came Tuesday afternoon, November 10, when searchers noticed freshly disturbed dirt beneath pine straw in a wooded area near the home of Comer’s father. The location was approximately 50 yards into the woods.
As rescuers began digging, they heard Koah crying beneath the dirt. The search quickly turned into a race to reach the infant and pull him from the buried crate. He was found alive and taken to a hospital for treatment.
Sheriff Koon said the wire crate had been wrapped in a towel before it was buried. He believed the towel may have created an air pocket that helped the baby survive. Investigators estimated Koah had been buried for about 24 hours.
“So, as you can imagine, the race was on,” Koon said, describing the moments after searchers heard the baby’s cries.
Patricia Comer told NBC News she was shocked by what her son was accused of doing, calling the alleged act “pure evil.” She also said she had never expected such behavior from him and thanked the agencies and responders who helped find her grandson.
As of the latest reports Wednesday, Comer had not been charged in connection with Koah’s disappearance or the circumstances in which the child was found. Authorities said they were working with the local solicitor’s office to determine what additional charges may be filed.
The investigation is ongoing.
The search and rescue operation took place near Parthenon Road in the Batesburg-Leesville area of Lexington County, in South Carolina’s Midlands region west of Columbia. Authorities have identified the general search area, but the precise wooded location where Koah was found has not been publicly identified. A Google Maps pin for the scene could not be independently verified, so no unverified map link is included.
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