Eleven-month-old baby miraculously rescued alive after 24 hours buried underground inside a dog crate in South Carolina

An eleven-month-old infant named Koya Sharp was miraculously rescued alive after spending roughly twenty-four hours buried about one foot deep underground inside a wire dog crate in Lexington County, South Carolina. The Lexington County Sheriff's Department revealed that the child's disappearance began on a Monday afternoon after the mother left the baby in the care of the 25-year-old father, Michael Comor.

The Search

Another caregiver arrived at the home to find both the father and the infant missing, prompting an immediate police report. Authorities tracked down and arrested Michael Comor on Monday night at a building in Batesburg, but he refused to disclose the baby's location. By Tuesday morning, a joint search involving roughly one hundred police officers and firefighters combed the nearby forest area. Investigators noticed a freshly dug patch of earth near the father's home and heard crying when they began clearing the dirt.

The Rescue

Rescuers found the infant wrapped in a towel inside a wire cage buried underground, where the fabric created a tiny air pocket that allowed the child to breathe and survive the ordeal. Rushed to the hospital immediately, the baby remains under medical observation. Lexington County Sheriff Jay Koon described hearing the infant cry from beneath the earth as the most joyful sound anyone could hear. Police charged Michael Comor with theft and resisting arrest, while officials are reviewing whether to add further charges.

Context

Child abduction and endangerment cases draw intense law enforcement responses due to the immediate danger to vulnerable infants. Such multi-agency searches often rely heavily on K9 units, community tips, and rapid coordination between local police and fire departments to locate missing persons before time runs out.