11-Month-Old Koah Sharpe Found Alive After Being Buried in a Dog Crate in South Carolina

admin · November 12, 2026 · 4 min read

Searchers and emergency responders in pine woods in Lexington County, South Carolina, where 11-month-old Koah Sharpe was found alive in a buried dog crate.

An 11-month-old boy who had been missing for about a day was found alive on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, buried in a dog crate in woods in Lexington County, South Carolina, authorities said. Koah Sharpe was pulled from a shallow hole about 50 yards behind his paternal grandfather’s home near Batesburg-Leesville, wrapped in a towel inside a wire crate, after searchers heard him crying beneath freshly disturbed earth.

The rescue ended a search by nearly 100 first responders from local, state and federal agencies. Deputies believe the baby had been underground for about 24 hours. He was taken to a hospital, and the sheriff said officials hoped he would make a full recovery.

Rescue After a Day Underground

Sheriff Jay Koon announced the rescue at a news conference on Tuesday afternoon. Searchers found the boy in the 300 block of Parthenon Road, where pine straw and freshly turned soil had caught their attention.

“Certainly God is good. Just a few moments ago, we found little Koah, 11 months old, buried alive, clinging to life, crying — the most joyful sound you ever heard of a crying baby,” Koon said, according to Reuters.

The wire crate measured about two feet by two feet, and the sheriff said the baby had been buried about a foot below the surface. The towel wrapped around the crate may have created a small air pocket that helped him breathe, and the cold weather overnight likely slowed the baby’s breathing, giving searchers more time to find him alive.

How the Search Found Him

The search began on Monday afternoon, after family members reported the baby missing. Deputies and firefighters combed the area through Monday night and into Tuesday.

The breakthrough came when searchers noticed freshly disturbed dirt about 50 yards into the woods from the home of the boy’s grandfather. They heard crying beneath the soil and dug the crate out by hand.

The rescue was the second major emergency response in the United States in as many days, after a Brooklyn building collapse in New York killed two people and injured more than a dozen.

What Happened Before the Search

Koah had been left in his father’s care at his mother’s home on Monday while she ran an errand. His father, 25-year-old Michael Comer, took the boy that afternoon.

Deputies located Comer late Monday night in an outbuilding at a house in the Batesburg-Leesville area, but the baby was not with him. Comer was arrested on burglary and resisting arrest charges. Koon said Comer had little to say about where the child was, and investigators were still determining what additional charges to pursue with the local solicitor’s office.

The case is the latest high-profile American crime story to reach the courts, after a suspect in the Brink’s jewelry heist agreed to plead guilty in Los Angeles.

What Happens Next

Prosecutors are expected to decide on additional charges against Comer, who remains in custody. The sheriff’s office has not released further medical information about Koah.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Koah Sharpe?

Koah Sharpe is an 11-month-old boy from Lexington County, South Carolina, reported missing on Monday, November 9, 2026, and found alive the next day in a dog crate buried near his grandfather’s home.

How was he found?

Searchers spotted freshly disturbed dirt about 50 yards into the woods from his grandfather’s house and heard him crying beneath the soil. They dug up a towel-wrapped wire dog crate, about two feet by two feet, with the baby inside.

What charges does his father face?

Michael Comer, 25, was arrested on burglary and resisting arrest charges. He was being held without bond, and authorities were working with prosecutors on additional charges. The charges are allegations; Comer has not been convicted of any offense related to the case.