An 11-month-old boy was found alive inside a buried dog crate in a wooded area of South Carolina after searchers heard him crying. (Foto: Instagram)
Koah, an 11-month-old boy, was found alive Tuesday, November 10, inside a dog crate buried in a wooded area in South Carolina. Sheriff Jay Koon said the child may have spent about 24 hours underground. Search teams found the shallow grave about 46 meters from the boy’s paternal grandfather’s home, covered with dirt near an area of pine straw.
As officers dug, they heard Koah crying. “Then, as you can imagine, everyone sprang into action. They were all there trying to get him out,” Koon said. The boy was inside a wire crate and wrapped in a towel. The sheriff said the towel may have created an air pocket that helped Koah survive, and that mild weather may also have contributed. After the rescue, Koah was taken to a hospital for medical care.
Koah had been reported missing Monday, November 9, after his father, Michael Comer, took him from his paternal grandmother’s home. Authorities said Comer’s mother had been caring for the child when Comer arrived. She left Koah with her son while another caregiver prepared to take over. By the time that caregiver arrived, Comer and the baby were gone.
Relatives reported the child missing that afternoon, and authorities began searching nearby, including at the home of Comer’s father. Investigators found the doors open and the baby’s belongings inside, but no sign of Comer or Koah. Comer was located that night in a shed on Columbia Avenue in Batesburg-Leesville. Koon said he was arrested and accused of trespassing at the property. Koah was not with him.
Nearly 100 law enforcement officers, firefighters and other personnel took part in the search, with help from the FBI and other state and federal agencies. Teams focused on the area around the paternal grandfather’s home, where they found signs of recently disturbed soil. They began digging and heard the baby’s cries. Court records show Comer had been placed on probation a little more than a month earlier after pleading guilty to an aggravated breach-of-peace charge. He had also been arrested in early 2026 on domestic violence and weapons-related allegations.
