An 11-month-old boy was “clinging to life” after authorities found him buried alive inside a dog crate in South Carolina, more than 24 hours after he was allegedly taken by his father.
Koah Sharpe was discovered Tuesday locked inside a dog crate wrapped in a towel and buried in a shallow hole. He had last been seen with his 25-year-old father, Michael Comer, more than a day earlier, WIS 10 reported, citing Lexington County Sheriff Jay Koon.
“By the grace of God, [the crate] probably provided enough air for him to survive our estimation of the last 24 hours under that dirt,” Koon told reporters Tuesday.
Comer’s mother had been caring for Koah before briefly leaving the child with his father that morning while another caregiver was on the way.
“By the time the caregiver got there, Michael was gone and Koah was gone with him,” the sheriff said.
Relatives reported Koah missing Monday afternoon, but authorities did not issue an Amber Alert because Comer did not have access to a vehicle, according to the sheriff.
“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 said.
The Justice Department requires law enforcement agencies to have sufficient identifying information about the child, suspected abductor and circumstances of the disappearance—often including a vehicle description and license plate number—before an Amber Alert can be issued.
More than 100 first responders from local, state and federal agencies joined the search for the missing baby, Koon said.
Investigators found Koah’s belongings at Comer’s home Monday afternoon. Both doors had been left open, but there was no sign of either the father or the child.
The sheriff said investigators believe Comer traveled to several locations throughout the county Monday, “bumming rides, calling rides, just getting rides from place to place.”
Later that night, police found Comer hiding in a shed in Batesburg. He was arrested on burglary and resisting-arrest charges.
“Of course, he didn’t have much to say about the whereabouts of the baby at that time,” Koon said.
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The following day, officers searching near Comer’s home noticed “freshly disturbed dirt” and pine straw about 50 yards into a wooded area.
When authorities began digging, they heard Koah crying.
“So as you imagine, the race was on,” Koon said, describing the frantic rescue. “Everybody’s getting down there trying to get him out.”
The sheriff said Koah had been buried in a 2-by-2-foot crate in a shallow hole for roughly 24 hours before he was found.
“He was screaming at the top of his lungs, which is a good thing in the baby world, I would guess,” Koon said.
Koon believes the towel wrapped around the crate “probably created an air pocket, if you can imagine.”
As of Tuesday afternoon, Koah remained hospitalized and was “clinging to life,” though Koon said he hoped the baby would “make a full recovery.”
“Hopefully at 11 months old, he will not remember much of this as he grows older, just to have a great inspiring story to tell,” Koon added.
Comer remained in custody Tuesday afternoon. Additional charges connected to Koah’s disappearance were still being considered.
Koon said a motive was not immediately clear, but noted that Comer and Koah’s mother had previously been involved in domestic violence incidents.
Comer’s arrest came about a month after he was placed on probation following a guilty plea to aggravated breach of peace, the local station reported, citing court records.
Earlier this year, he was also arrested in connection with domestic violence and a weapons-related offense.
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or text START to 88788.
