100 people searched for a baby who vanished while in dad's care. Then they heard cries coming from underground
Paramedics rushed the infant to the hospital, where he was screaming at the top of his lungs.
For most parents, a baby's cry in the middle of the afternoon could mean it is time for food, a dirty diaper, or a nap. But on November 10, 2026, in the woods of Batesburg-Leesville, South Carolina, that exact sound meant a miracle. Nearly 100 exhausted searchers were combing the area when they heard 11-month-old Koah Sharp crying beneath the dirt. The baby had been missing for 24 hours. According to Lexington County Sheriff Jay Koon, the boy's father, Michael Comer, had placed him inside a wire dog crate, wrapped it in a towel, and buried him under a foot of soil. Thankfully, a multi-agency search team eventually found and rescued him, as NBC News (@NBCNews) reported on November 12, 2026, garnering nearly 60,000 views.
The sudden disappearance
The ordeal began on November 9, 2026, when Sharp was staying with his paternal grandmother in Gaston. His father stopped by the home. The grandmother had to run a quick errand, so she left the infant with Comer while waiting for another caregiver to arrive. By the time that caregiver got there, both Comer and the baby were gone. Investigators soon traced them to a home on Parthenon, just up the street from Comer's father in the Batesburg-Leesville area. Deputies arrived around lunchtime to find both doors wide open and baby supplies scattered inside, yet there was no trace of the pair.
A challenging search
Tracking Comer proved difficult right from the start. Koon said an AMBER Alert was not issued because Comer did not have access to a vehicle, meaning investigators did not have a vehicle description and license plate to broadcast. Instead, Comer was catching rides from place to place. Security footage from local businesses later spotted him walking around town alone, sparking major fears for the boy's safety. Sheriff Koon noted that Comer and the child's mother had a history of domestic violence issues in court. "Certainly, children sometimes get caught in the middle," he told News 19 WLTX.
The midnight arrest
Later that Monday night, deputies caught a break in the town of Batesburg. They found Comer hiding inside an outbuilding at a property off Columbia Avenue. Officers took him into custody on burglary and resisting arrest charges. However, the baby was not with him, and Comer refused to say where his son was. With no answers from the father, nearly 100 local officers, firefighters, SLED agents, and FBI personnel launched a massive ground search on Tuesday morning.
A miraculous rescue
Around 1:30 PM or 2:00 PM on Tuesday, searchers noticed freshly disturbed dirt under some straw about 50 yards into the woods behind the Sharp's grandfather's home. As crime scene techs began probing the ground, they heard faint cries coming from beneath the soil. Comer had placed Koah inside a two-by-two-foot wire dog crate, wrapped it in a towel, and buried him under a foot of dirt. "The most joyful sound you ever heard of a crying baby," Koon said, describing the moment they uncovered him. Baby Koah's father has been charged with attempted murder "for allegedly burying the baby," per ABC News. People also noted that he was charged with "burglary, violating his probation, child neglect and transporting a child to avoid a custody proceeding."
Paramedics rushed the infant to the hospital, where he was screaming at the top of his lungs. Sheriff Koon said the towel wrapped around the wire crate may have created an air pocket, and suggested the cool overnight temperatures could also have helped him survive. Koah was released from the hospital Tuesday night and is now with family members. His medical team told investigators that he is expected to make a full recovery. This incident highlights how, in most cases of child abuse, the perpetrator is a parent. National Children's Alliance data show that in substantiated U.S. child-abuse cases, 76% of children were victimized by a parent or legal guardian. Children in their first year of life accounted for 15% of all victims.
Beyond horrific
As expected, the people were furious after hearing about this incident. @ricky-w5n3p wrote, "That is beyond horrific. Thank God that poor baby was found in time. It's inconceivable to me that someone would look at the precious baby and even consider such a heinous act." Meanwhile, @madelineschaffer1499 commented, "Thank you to all those involved in the rescue of this sweet little boy, and thankfully this little angel is safe and well. His father is an animal, and I hope he is held accountable to the fullest extent of the law."
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