An 11-month-old boy was discovered by South Carolina authorities after allegedly being taken by his father. The child had been buried alive in a dog crate and was discovered on Tuesday, a day after he had been taken by his father without the mother’s knowledge. Police found baby Koah Sharpe alive and wrapped in blankets in a dog crate under the ground, according to NBC News. Lexington County Sheriff Bryan Koon told reporters that the box baby Koah had been in “probably provided enough air for him to survive — our estimation is for the last 24 hours under that dirt.” Koah’s mother has full custody of the baby, with the father, Michael Comer, allowed to watch the child unsupervised. Koah’s mother would allow the child’s grandmother and the mother of Michael Comer, Patricia Comer, to take care of the baby. Speaking to NBC, Patricia expressed her disbelief at her son’s alleged actions: “Honestly, I’m his mother, and I never expected this from him,” she said. Patricia said that Koah had been left with her and that her son, the baby’s father, had come over because there was no custody agreement preventing Michael from doing so. Patricia then left for work, leaving the baby in Michael’s care, although she claimed that another caregiver was on the way. Around 11 a.m., a friend called Patricia and told her she had gone to the home to drop off baby formula, but no one answered. “Something just did not feel right. I told my boss, ‘I need to leave work,’” Patricia said. “Call it mother’s instinct. I don’t know what it was.” Michael was arrested but Koah was still missing The baby was reported missing after she returned home and found the property empty. Comer was arrested on Monday and charged with burglary; however, the baby was not with him. Search efforts involving 100 officials began with the search party combing the woods near Comer’s father’s house. An 11-month-old boy who had been taken by his father was found buried alive in a dog crate following an urgent search, authorities in South Carolina said.https://t.co/A45CZnlS8o— ABC News (@ABC) November 11, 2026 According to Koon, searchers found a patch of disturbed earth near the property and began digging. “As they probed it and laid it out and started digging, you could hear little Koah crying,” he said. “He was screaming at the top of his lungs, which is a good thing in the baby world, I would guess.” Koah was found in a dog crate buried in a shallow hole. The blankets around him had likely created an air pocket, preventing the baby from suffocating in the tight space. The baby was later taken to hospital for treatment. Speaking about her son’s alleged actions, Patricia Comer claimed it was “pure evil.” She also said that Michael being in police custody was “where he needs to be.” The sheriff said that authorities were working with the prosecutor’s office on the charges against Michael Comer.