An 11-month-old boy was found alive in a buried dog crate in a wooded area of South Carolina after a search, authorities said. (Foto: Instagram)
Koah, an 11-month-old baby, was found alive Tuesday, Nov. 10, inside a dog crate buried in a wooded area in South Carolina, authorities said. He may have been underground for about 24 hours. Sheriff Jay Koon said search teams found the shallow grave roughly 46 meters from the child’s paternal grandfather’s home. The crate was covered with dirt and was near an area of pine straw.
As officers dug, they heard Koah crying. Koon said the sound prompted an urgent effort to free him, with everyone at the scene working to get the baby out. Koah was inside a wire crate and wrapped in a towel. According to the sheriff, the towel may have created an air pocket that helped him survive. Mild weather may also have contributed. After the rescue, Koah was taken to a hospital for medical care.
The child had been reported missing Monday, Nov. 9, after his father, Michael Comer, took him from the home of the baby’s paternal grandmother. Authorities said Comer’s mother had been caring for Koah when Comer arrived. She left the baby with her son while another caregiver was preparing to take over. By the time that caregiver arrived, the father and child were gone.
Relatives reported Koah missing that afternoon, and authorities began searching nearby, including at Comer’s home. They found the doors open and the baby’s belongings inside, but neither Comer nor Koah was there. Comer was located later that night in a shed on Columbia Avenue in Batesburg-Leesville. Sheriff Koon said Comer was taken into custody on an allegation of trespassing. Koah was not with him.
Nearly 100 law enforcement officers, firefighters and other personnel took part in the search, with support from the FBI and other state and federal agencies. Teams focused on the area near the paternal grandfather’s home, where they noticed signs of recently disturbed soil. They began digging and heard the baby cry.
Court records show Comer had been placed on probation a little more than a month before the incident after pleading guilty to an aggravated breach-of-the-peace charge. He had also been arrested in early 2026 on domestic violence and weapons-related allegations.
