Searchers heard 11-month-old Koah Sharpe crying beneath disturbed soil after authorities say he had been underground for about 24 hours.
BATESBURG-LEESVILLE, S.C. — An 11-month-old boy was found alive Tuesday inside a dog crate buried in woods in Lexington County after a large search team heard him crying beneath freshly disturbed soil, authorities said.
Koah Sharpe was taken to a hospital after searchers uncovered the crate, which had been wrapped in a towel and buried in a shallow area near the home of his paternal grandfather. Lexington County Sheriff Jay Koon said investigators estimated the baby had been underground for about 24 hours. His father, 25-year-old Michael Comer, had been arrested the previous night on burglary and resisting arrest charges. Investigators were working with prosecutors to determine whether additional charges were warranted. Authorities had not publicly established a motive.
The search began Monday after Koah disappeared while in his father’s care, according to the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department. Authorities said the baby had been staying with his paternal grandmother when Comer arrived. She later left Koah with Comer while another caregiver was expected to take over. By the time that caregiver arrived, both Comer and the child were gone. Family members reported Koah missing later that day.
Investigators searched several locations associated with Comer and determined he had traveled around Lexington County even though he did not have access to a vehicle, authorities said. Deputies located Comer late Monday night in an outbuilding in the Batesburg-Leesville area and arrested him on a burglary charge. Koah was not with him. Sheriff officials said Comer was also accused of resisting arrest. The charges pending against Comer at that stage were separate from any potential charges tied directly to the child’s disappearance and discovery.
The search for Koah continued Tuesday with nearly 100 law enforcement officers, firefighters and other public safety personnel involved. The Lexington County Sheriff’s Department said state and federal agencies, including the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, FBI and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, assisted. Search teams eventually focused on woods near the home of Comer’s father, where investigators noticed pine straw and soil that appeared to have been recently disturbed.
Searchers began digging and soon heard the baby crying beneath the ground, Koon said during a news conference. They quickly uncovered the dog crate and removed Koah. Authorities said the wire crate had been wrapped in a towel. Koon said investigators believed the covering may have created enough space for air to reach the child while he was buried. He also said the estimate that Koah had been underground for about a day was based on investigators’ reconstruction of Comer’s movements and the timeline of the disappearance.
Officials had earlier described Koah as weighing about 20 pounds, with reddish-blond hair and blue eyes. Before he was found, the sheriff’s department issued public appeals asking anyone who had seen Comer or who might have been given custody of the baby to contact investigators. Authorities did not issue an Amber Alert because investigators did not have a known vehicle and license plate connected to the disappearance, Koon told reporters.
Koah was rushed to a hospital after his rescue. Koon said the child was alive and crying when searchers reached him and expressed hope that he would make a full recovery. Authorities had not released a detailed medical assessment or publicly described any specific injuries as of Wednesday. The child’s survival became the central development in a search that had intensified after Comer was taken into custody without the baby.
Investigators have not publicly said who placed Koah in the crate or buried it, and no court has determined responsibility for the circumstances in which the child was found. Comer remained accused of the charges announced after his arrest, while investigators continued gathering evidence and consulting prosecutors about possible additional charges. The Lexington County Sheriff’s Department said the investigation remained active.
Author note: Last updated November 11, 2026.