An 11-month-old boy was pulled from the dirt alive in South Carolina after spending about 24 hours buried underground inside a dog crate.
The infant, Koah Sharp, was released from a hospital and is expected to make a full recovery, according to Lexington County officials. His father, Michael Comer, 25, faces attempted murder and other charges following the rescue.
Dozens of first responders combed the countryside after the boy disappeared while in his father’s care. Investigators tracked a trail of freshly disturbed soil in the woods near the home of the boy’s grandfather and heard cries coming from below the surface.
“As you can imagine, the race was on. Everyone was trying to get him out,” said Sheriff Jay Koon, describing how rescuers rushed to unearth the child from a 2-foot-by-2-foot container.
Rescuers Find Koah Sharp Alive
The rescue unfolded on November 10, 2026, after an extensive search involving nearly 100 officers from multiple agencies. Law enforcement focused their efforts on a patch of ground near Batesburg-Leesville where pine straw covered a shallow grave.
“And as they probed it and laid it out and started digging, you could hear little Koah crying,” Koon said during a press briefing covered by CNN.
Rescuers found the infant “clinging to life,” wrapped inside a dog crate that was covered with a dirt-smeared towel. Authorities believe that towel, combined with cool overnight temperatures, helped create an air pocket that sustained the baby during his day underground.
Koah’s grandfather, John Comer, expressed profound relief after the discovery. “God had to have laid in the ground with Koah for the entire, entirety of that time,” he told reporters, according to NBC News.
The infant’s mother, Dezarae Sharp, was reunited with her son as he was resting in her arms. In her first interview following the incident, she expressed lingering disbelief over the ordeal.
Because the suspect did not own a vehicle, officers could not issue an Amber Alert during the initial search phase, as vehicle details and license plates are required. Instead, roughly 100 officers scoured the area manually before locating the child.
Michael Comer Faces Court Hearing
Michael Comer was arrested late Monday night after being located in an outbuilding in Batesburg-Leesville without the infant. He was initially taken into custody on a burglary charge before law enforcement charged him with attempted murder, unlawful conduct toward a child, and custodial interference.
During a court appearance, Tyler Douglas, lead investigator for the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department, told Magistrate Gary W. Reinhart that the suspect showed no remorse for trying to kill his son and attempted to flee the state, as reported by Global News. The judge denied bond and scheduled a subsequent hearing for December 10.
Reflecting on the ordeal, Koon noted the resilience of the young survivor. “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,” the sheriff said.
Earlier coverage: Baby Found Alive After Being Buried for 24 Hours; Father Charged
