An 11-month-old boy was rescued alive Tuesday afternoon after being buried in a dog crate in a wooded area of Lexington County, South Carolina, police said.
The infant, Koah Sharpe, had been missing since Monday, November 9, 2026, when he was taken by his father, 25-year-old Michael Alexander Comer, according to the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department.
A massive, multi-agency search involving nearly 100 first responders—including the Lexington County Fire Service, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF)—led to the discovery of the child about 50 yards into the woods near the residence of Comer’s father on Parthenon Road.
The Rescue on Parthenon Road
“Certainly God is good. Just a few moments ago, we found little Koah, 11 months old, buried alive, clinging to life, crying – the most joyful sound you ever heard of a crying baby,” sheriff Jay Koon told a news conference.
As they probed it and laid it out and started digging, you could hear little Koah crying. So as you imagine, the race was on, everybody’s getting down there trying to get him out.
Jay Koon, Lexington County Sheriff
Disappearance and Arrest of Michael Comer
Family members subsequently reported the child missing around 3 p.m. Monday. Deputies searched the home of Comer’s father on Parthenon Road, where they found both doors open and baby belongings inside, but no sign of the father or the child. Surveillance footage later showed Comer at several businesses in the Batesburg-Leesville area without the infant.
Instead, the department coordinated a wide-scale search effort.
An 11-month-old boy from South Carolina, identified as Koah Sharpe, was discovered alive on Tuesday afternoon after having been buried underground in a dog crate in Lexington County for approximately 24 hours. pic.twitter.com/kOGfJToFRR
Grandmother Reacts to Comer's Criminal History
Patricia Comer, the child’s grandmother, expressed shock following the discovery. “I had no idea this was going to happen,” she said, adding that she did not know her son “would do anything like this.” She also mentioned that while she had supervised visits with the child, there was no custody agreement preventing Michael Comer from watching the boy unsupervised.
Court records show that Comer pleaded guilty to breach of peace on October 8, 2026, a reduced charge from a July 22, 2026, arrest for first-degree assault and battery. Records also indicate previous arrests involving domestic violence and a weapons-related charge.
Koah Receives Hospital Treatment as Investigators Seek Charges
Following his rescue, Koah was transported to a hospital.
The Lexington County Sheriff’s Department is working with the local solicitor’s office to determine additional charges against Comer. If you or someone you know is affected by domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or text START to 88788.
Comer remains in custody at the Lexington County Detention Center as investigators continue to examine the circumstances of the case.
Earlier coverage: Missing 9-Month-Old Found Safe in Columbia as Woman Is Arrested
