A 25-year-old man has been charged with attempted murder in South Carolina after his son survived being buried alive in a dog crate for about 24 hours.
The 11-month-old, Koah Sharp, was reported missing in Lexington County, just west of Columbia on Monday. After a full day of searching Tuesday, authorities found freshly disturbed soil in the woods not far from the home of the boy's grandfather - and heard cries from below ground, the sheriff said.
Rescue and Recovery
Koah was soon freed and "clinging to life," the sheriff told reporters. "He was screaming at the top of his lungs, which is a good thing in the baby world, I would guess," Koon said. He was released from a hospital Tuesday night following the rescue and is expected to make a "full recovery," Sheriff Jay Koon said.
The boy's 25-year-old father, Michael Comer, was arrested while hiding in a building in Batesburg-Leesville. He faces attempted murder and other charges. A court hearing was planned for Thursday.
Survival Factors and Investigation
The boy survived because of cool temperatures and an air pocket created by a towel that was wrapped around the crate below ground, said Koon.
"We're better now that we know that Koah is safe," his great-aunt, Amber Hammond, told The Associated Press. She was watching as he was freed from the crate.
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. "By the time the caregiver got there, Michael was gone, and Koah was gone with him," the sheriff said. Surveillance video from several businesses in the area showed Comer without the baby on Monday afternoon, Koon said.
Background and Family Statements
Koah's parents "have had some situations" regarding domestic violence charges, the sheriff said. "Children," he said, "sometimes get caught in the middle."
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. "We had no idea something like this would happen at all," Hammond said.
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. He also got credit for spending more than two months in jail.
At nearly a year old, Koah has been trying to stand on his own, said Hammond, who cared for him last weekend. And he already has some TV favorites. "I'd go to feed him, and it had Mickey Mouse on," Hammond said. "You can't feed him and have Mickey Mouse on at the same time."
