An 11-month-old boy in South Carolina was found alive after being buried in a dog crate for approximately 24 hours, leading to the attempted murder charge against his father. The infant, identified as Koah Sharp, was discovered crying and covered in dirt by rescuers in a wooded area on a neighbor's property. His grandfather, John Comer, described the emotional moment of the rescue, noting that the boy initially stopped crying once he was lifted onto the back of a truck and sat up.
John Comer recalled the scene with a mix of joy and disbelief. "I became ecstatic, my hands straight in the air. I’m looking in the sky, jumping up and down, praising God," he said. "And at the same time I hit my knees and I’m just crying." The child was released from the hospital on Tuesday night, and Sheriff Jay Koon stated that Koah is expected to make a full recovery.
The boy's father, Michael Comer, 25, has been in custody since Monday when the infant disappeared. He has been formally charged with attempted murder. John Comer explained that he had opened his home to his son and grandson earlier that day after Michael requested a place to stay. Authorities have not yet revealed a specific motive, though they noted that the parents have had previous difficulties.
Sheriff Koon described the search effort, noting that dozens of first responders scoured the countryside for the child, who has reddish blond hair. After a full day of searching, officers found freshly disturbed soil and heard the infant's cries from below the ground. "As you can imagine, the race was on. Everyone was trying to get him out," the sheriff said. The child was described as clinging to life when finally freed.
Survival was attributed to cool ambient temperatures and an air pocket created by a towel wrapped around the crate. Michael Comer was arrested while hiding in a building in Batesburg-Leesville. A court hearing was scheduled for Thursday, and it was not immediately known if he had retained legal counsel to respond to the charges.
The infant had been in the care of his grandmother, who left him with his father to run an errand. Another caregiver was en route but arrived to find that Michael Comer and the boy were already gone. Surveillance footage from local businesses showed Comer without the baby on Monday afternoon. The sheriff noted that by the time the backup caregiver arrived, the father and child had vanished.
Michael Comer's great-aunt, Amber Hammond, who was present during the rescue, expressed relief at the outcome. "We’re better now that we know that Koah is safe," she told the Associated Press. Hammond noted that her nephew had previously mentioned taking the baby to New York to be away from the mother, which led family members to initially believe he had given the child to someone else.
Court records from Lexington County indicate that Comer was sentenced to probation in October after pleading guilty to domestic violence and aggravated breach of peace charges stemming from a July arrest. A gun charge was dropped as part of the plea deal, and he received credit for more than two months spent in jail. John Comer said he felt taken advantage of but was grateful he had agreed to let them stay, as the location helped ensure the boy was found in time.
The grandfather noted that he had never heard his grandson cry before the discovery underground. "He’s always been happy," Comer said. "The kid’s always got a smile on his face." Family members added that the nearly one-year-old boy had been practicing standing on his own and enjoyed watching Mickey Mouse cartoons.
