Missing South Carolina infant found buried alive in dog crate; father arrested

WASHINGTON, Nov 11 (OPA) — Law enforcement in Lexington County rescued 11-month-old Koah Sharp on Tuesday afternoon after search teams detected freshly disturbed dirt and pine straw near Batesburg-Leesville. Lexington County Sheriff Jay Koon stated that responders heard the infant crying from beneath the ground, prompting an immediate excavation. The child was discovered inside a wire crate covered by a towel, which officials believe may have created an air pocket that allowed him to survive approximately 24 hours under the dirt.

The rescue concluded an intensive search that began Monday afternoon after the infant disappeared from his paternal grandfather's home. The baby had initially been in the care of his grandmother, Trish Comer, before she left him briefly with his 25-year-old father, Michael Comer. According to investigators, Michael Comer fled on foot with the child before a relief caregiver arrived. Police apprehended Comer late Monday evening in an outbuilding at a Batesburg residence on unrelated charges of burglary and resisting arrest.

Authorities noted that Comer initially provided no information regarding the infant's location during his arrest. Investigators utilized surveillance footage from the Batesburg-Leesville area that showed Comer traveling without the child. The search mobilized approximately 100 emergency personnel who focused efforts near the grandfather's property where the infant was ultimately located just 50 yards away.

Koah Sharp's mother, Dezarae Sharp, stated that Comer had been permitted weekend visits following improvements in his personal conduct. The investigation remains ongoing as local authorities prepare formal charges related to the abduction and endangerment of the infant. The child was evaluated by medical personnel following his extraction from the subterranean enclosure.