Michael Comer Arrested After Missing Baby Is Found Alive in a Buried Dog Crate

An 11-month-old boy was found alive inside a buried dog crate after a day-long search in South Carolina, and his father, Michael Comer, was arrested, according to local authorities and news reports. Sheriff Jay Koon said rescuers heard the child crying as they dug through freshly disturbed soil near the home of the boy’s grandfather. The child, identified as Koah Sharp, had disappeared on Monday. Authorities said he had been left in Comer’s care while his grandmother, Trish Comer, went on an errand. When another caregiver arrived, both the father and the baby were gone, prompting a search and a call to police around midday. Investigators searched a property near the grandfather’s home and found open doors and baby items inside, but no immediate sign of either of them. According to the sheriff, Comer was later found in an outbuilding in Batesburg and arrested on charges of burglary and resisting arrest. The report says he had little to say about the baby’s whereabouts. Authorities had not charged him in connection with the child’s disappearance at the time of the report. Search teams continued looking into Tuesday afternoon, when they noticed soil and pine straw that appeared recently disturbed. As officers probed the area and began digging, they heard Koah crying from inside a wire crate. The sheriff described the sound as a joyful one, and said the infant was found alive and in critical condition. The crate had been covered with a towel. Koon said the covering may have left an air pocket, allowing the baby enough air to breathe. The report says Koah was taken from the crate after rescuers rushed to free him. Authorities thanked the search teams and expressed relief that the child had been found alive after spending about 24 hours underground.