South Carolina 11-month-old infant was buried alive by father, police rescue child, explain what saved little one

An 11-month-old infant, who was buried alive, has been rescued by Police after prompt search operation in South Carolina. When the child was reported missing in South Carolina, police combed the countryside looking for boy who, the sheriff's office said, had disappeared while his grandmother ran errands.

After a full day of searching, authorities found freshly disturbed soil in the woods not far from the home of the boy's grandfather. They began digging and soon unearthed little Koah Sharp, who was “clinging to life” after being buried alive in a dog crate wrapped in a towel, the sheriff said.

Police arrested the child Koah Sharp’s father Michael Comer, according to the sheriff.


Miracle Happens

The towel probably created an air pocket that allowed the boy to breathe in the crate, the sheriff said. Cool temperatures also may have helped. Koah, who disappeared Monday in the county just west of Columbia, was taken to a hospital. His condition was not immediately known on Wednesday. Nearly 100 first responders participated in the search.

Deputies who searched the grandfather's home found the doors open and baby belongings inside, but they did not see Comer or the child, the sheriff said. Then the digging started.

It was not immediately known if Comer had a lawyer. A phone number could not be found for him. The AP sent emails seeking information to the public defender and prosecutors.

Surveillance video offers clue

Authorities said Koah had been in the care of Comer's mother. She had to run an errand and left the boy in Comer's care while another caregiver was on the way, Lexington County Sheriff Jay Koon said.

Surveillance video from several businesses in the area showed Comer without the infant on Monday afternoon, Koon said. The father was found Monday night and was arrested.

Child's great aunt Amber Hammond said her nephew had talked about taking the baby to New York because “he didn’t want to be in the same state as the mom.” When Koah vanished, she and others assumed that Comer had given the boy to someone.

Comer was sentenced to probation in October after pleading guilty to domestic violence and aggravated breach-of-peace charges related to an arrest in July, Lexington County online court records show. Prosecutors dropped a gun charge as part of the plea deal.