An 11-month-old baby has been found alive after being buried underground inside a dog crate for an estimated 24 hours in South Carolina, US. The infant, Koah Sharp, was discovered crying beneath the dirt near his grandfather's home following a search by police and emergency services.
The baby was found inside a wire dog crate covered with a towel, and authorities believe a small pocket of air may have kept him alive. Lexington County Sheriff Jay Koon described the moment rescuers heard the infant crying after noticing disturbed earth near the property.
Rescue After Disturbed Soil Discovery
Koah had been reported missing around midday on Monday after disappearing while in the care of his 25-year-old father, Michael Comer. The infant had initially been staying with his grandmother, Trish Comer, who regularly looked after him. When she left to run an errand, Koah was placed in his father's care before another caregiver was due to arrive.
Sheriff Koon explained: "By the time the caregiver got there, Michael was gone and Koah was gone with him." Officers launched an extensive search, visiting the home of the baby's paternal grandfather, where they found both doors open and the child's belongings inside, but no sign of either Koah or his father.
Father Arrested, Baby Found Alive
Investigators later discovered footage showing Michael in the Batesburg-Leesville area without the baby. On Monday evening, the 25-year-old was located hiding inside an outbuilding at a property in Batesburg and was arrested on burglary and resisting arrest charges. He had not yet been charged in connection with his son's disappearance or burial at the time of the report.
The breakthrough came on Tuesday afternoon when search teams spotted freshly disturbed soil and pine straw approximately 50 yards from the grandfather's home. Officers began digging and heard the missing baby's cries coming from beneath the ground.
"As they probed it, laid it out and started digging, you could hear little Koah crying," Sheriff Koon said. "So, as you imagine, the race was on, everybody's getting down there trying to get him out." Rescuers pulled Koah from the buried crate, which investigators believe may have provided just enough oxygen for the infant to survive.
Estimated 24 Hours Underground
"By the Grace of God, probably provided enough air for him to survive, our estimation is about 24 hours, under that dirt," Sheriff Koon said. The discovery brought an end to the frantic search, with police expressing relief that the baby had been found alive.
