11-Month-Old Found Alive After 24 Hours Buried in a Dog Crate

An 11-month-old boy who went missing in South Carolina on Monday was found alive Tuesday, buried in a dog crate in woods near his grandfather's home, according to Lexington County Sheriff Koon. Officials estimate he spent about 24 hours underground.

The boy, Koah Sharpe, was taken to a hospital and was being cared for Tuesday afternoon, NBC News reported. His father, Michael Comer, 25, was arrested Monday night on a burglary charge, and prosecutors are now weighing additional charges.

What happened to Koah on Monday?

The sheriff's office said Comer took the boy on Monday morning. According to NBC News, the baby's grandmother, Patricia Comer, had been caring for him until her son came to the house and she left. A second caregiver was on the way, but by the time that person arrived, both father and child were gone.

Patricia Comer told NBC News that a friend stopped by around 11 a.m. to drop off formula and no one answered the door. She said she left work and came home to find her son gone. CBS News reported that, according to investigators, Comer traveled to several locations around Lexington County that day.

Deputies went to the home of Comer's father on Monday and found the doors open and the baby's belongings inside, but no sign of Comer or the child, the sheriff said. Comer was arrested late Monday in an outbuilding in the county. Koah was not with him.

How was the baby found?

Nearly 100 police officers, firefighters and other officials took part in the search, the sheriff said, with help from the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, the FBI and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

On Tuesday, one search group noticed a patch of freshly disturbed earth in the woods, roughly 50 yards from the grandfather's house. As searchers probed the ground and began to dig, they heard the baby crying, the sheriff told reporters. NBC News reported that the discovery came around 1:30 p.m.

The sheriff described the cries as the most joyful sound he had ever heard from a baby. Searchers found Koah inside a wire crate, about 2 feet by 2 feet, set in a shallow hole.

Why did he survive?

The crate had been wrapped in a towel, which the sheriff said probably created an air pocket that gave the boy enough air to survive. He added that the cool weather may also have helped. Koah was crying loudly when he was dug out, which the sheriff called a good sign.

NBC News described the boy as a 20-pound child with reddish hair who had a pacifier with him when he was found.

What has Comer's family said?

Patricia Comer told NBC News she was shocked and that her son being in custody was where he needed to be. She said she had seen no warning signs and never expected this from him. She also said she was hurt that some people were blaming her, and she thanked the agencies that searched for her grandson.

She told NBC News that Koah's mother has full custody. According to her, there was no custody agreement barring Comer from watching the boy alone, and he had done so before without problems. She also said her son lives with her and had recently spent time in jail after going drunk to the home of an ex of the baby's mother.

It was not immediately clear whether Comer has an attorney who could comment for him, NBC News reported.

What does this mean for the case?

For now, Comer is held on the burglary charge. The sheriff said his department is working with the prosecutor's office, which CBS News described as the solicitor's office, to decide what other charges may be filed. CBS News reported that the investigation was in its early stages when the sheriff spoke Tuesday.

The sheriff said he hopes the boy makes a full recovery, and he thanked everyone involved in the search. Officials have not released further details on Koah's medical condition beyond saying he was hospitalized.

Around Prague, based on reporting by NBC News, The Guardian, CBS News

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