11-month-old rescued after being found buried in a crate near father's home in South Carolina
An infant missing for a day was located alive in a crate close to his father's residence and is now receiving hospital care.
Lexington County Sheriff Jay Koon said an 11-month-old boy was discovered on Tuesday buried in a crate near the home of his 25-year-old father, Michael Comer, who had been arrested on a burglary charge the previous evening. The child, Koah Sharpe, had been missing since Monday after Comer took him from his mother's house. A search team of about 100 police and fire officials combed the woods near Comer's father's property, noting freshly disturbed soil before hearing the baby cry.
Koon described the crate as roughly two feet by two feet and wrapped in a towel, which likely supplied enough air for the infant to survive while cold weather prevented overheating. The sheriff expressed optimism that the child would make a full recovery after being taken to a hospital.
Comer, who has prior domestic-violence convictions, was questioned about the child's whereabouts but offered little information. The child's mother retains full custody, according to her sister, Patricia Comer, who said she had previously allowed Michael Comer to supervise the baby without incident.