11-month-old buried alive for 24 hours, father arrested, police say

An 11-month-old boy was found buried alive and "clinging to life" after he went missing on Monday.

The Lexington County Sheriff’s Department said the baby was rushed to a nearby hospital where he is receiving treatment.

Baby buried alive 

What we know:

Law enforcement received a call about a missing child, identified as Koah Sharpe, on Monday at around noon local time, according to a news conference held by the sheriff’s department on Tuesday. 

Koah was staying at his grandmother’s house while waiting to get picked up by another caregiver.

Koah’s father, identified as Michael Comer, made a visit to the grandmother’s house and it was determined he took the child out of the home.

Comer traveled to multiple locations in the area on Monday, but when police finally tracked him down, Koah was no longer with him.

He was taken into custody on a burglary charge. 

On Tuesday, a search party was assembled near Comer’s home and searchers located some freshly disturbed dirt in the woods about 50 yards away.

As they began to dig into the area, they could hear Koah’s cries. 

What they're saying:

"God is good. Just a few moments ago, we found little Koah Sharpe, 11 months old, buried alive, clinging to life, crying. The most joyful sound you ever heard of a crying baby much like probably when your children were born," Sheriff Jay Koon said on Tuesday. 

Koah was found inside of a dog crate which was then wrapped in a towel. Koon said he believed the towel is what helped the baby survive. 

It was estimated that Koah was buried for 24 hours.

What we don't know:

Additional charges for Comer are pending as the investigation continues.

The condition of the child is unknown at this time. 

Koon mentioned that the Koah’s mother and Comer have had issues in the past.

While he did not give a clear motive for why Comer buried the child, Koon said that sometimes children get caught in the middle of disputing parents. 

The Source: Information for this story was taken from a news conference held on Nov. 10, 2026, by the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department. This story was reported from San Jose.