Father of boy who survived burial alive charged with attempted murder in South Carolina

LEXINGTON, S.C. (AP) — An 11-month-old South Carolina boy who authorities say was buried alive in a dog cage by his father was found by rescuers after about 24 hours, crying and covered in dirt, his grandfather said of the dramatic rescue.

But soon after, little Koah Sharp stopped crying, John Comer told The Associated Press Wednesday evening, recalling the events that unfolded the day before in the woods on his neighbor’s property. The baby was placed in the back of a truck and sat down, Comer said.

“I became ecstatic, my hands outstretched in the air. I’m looking up at the sky, jumping up and down, praising God,” Comer said. “And at the same time, I got on my knees and cried.”

Koah was released from the hospital Tuesday evening and is expected to make a full recovery, Sheriff Jay Koon said.

The boy’s father, Michael Comer, 25, was charged with attempted murder. John Comer said he opened his home to his son and grandson Monday after Michael Comer said they needed a place to stay.

This photo provided by Amber Hammond shows Michael Comer holding his son, Koah Sharp, 11 months, during a break from work in Lexington, South Carolina, Sunday, Nov. 8, 2026. (Amber Hammond via AP)

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Michael Comer has been in custody since Monday, the date of Koah’s disappearance. Authorities have revealed nothing about Comer’s motives. He was sentenced to probation in October after pleading guilty to domestic violence.

Koah’s parents “experienced some situations,” the sheriff said.

“Children,” he said, “sometimes find themselves caught in the middle. »

Survival was made easier by cool temperatures and a towel

Dozens of first responders scoured the countryside looking for the boy with reddish blonde hair. After a full day of searching, authorities found freshly disturbed soil and heard screams coming from the basement, the sheriff said.

“As you can imagine, the race was on. Everyone was trying to get him out,” Koon said.

The boy likely survived thanks to cool temperatures and an air pocket created by a towel wrapped around the crate underground, he said.

Koah was quickly released and “clinging to life,” the sheriff told reporters.

Comer was arrested while hiding in an apartment building in Batesburg-Leesville. It was not immediately known whether he had an attorney capable of responding to the charges. A court hearing was scheduled for Thursday.

“We’re better now that we know Koah is safe,” his great-aunt, Amber Hammond, told the Associated Press. She watched him free himself from the crate.

The boy’s father took him away before a caregiver arrived

Authorities said Koah was in the custody of Michael 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 arrived, Michael was gone and Koah was gone with him,” the sheriff said.

Surveillance videos from several area businesses showed Comer without a baby Monday afternoon, Koon said.

John Comer said he felt like his son took advantage of him when he asked for housing. But, he said, he’s also grateful they agreed, because if they had gone elsewhere, they might not have found the boy in time.

“It seems like he already planned this and knew what he was doing,” Comer said. “And he took advantage of the opportunity to do what he did. And if it hadn’t been here, I don’t think anyone would have known where he would have gone, and it would be a completely different story.”

Michael Comer had talked about taking the boy out of state

Hammond said his nephew talked about taking the baby to New York because “he didn’t want to be in the same state as the mother.” When Koah disappeared, she and others assumed Comer had given the boy to someone.

“We had no idea something like this would happen,” 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, according to Lexington County online court records. Prosecutors dropped gun-related charges as part of the plea deal. He was also found to have spent more than two months in prison.

At almost a year old, Koah is trying to fend for himself, said Hammond, who cared for him last weekend. And he loves watching Mickey Mouse cartoons.

John Comer said he never heard his grandson cry before he was found underground.

“He was always happy,” he said. “The child always has a smile on his face.”

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Associated Press writers Ed White in Detroit, Michael R. Sisak in New York and Dave Collins in Hartford, Connecticut, contributed.

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