11-Month-Old Found Alive After 24 Hours Buried in Dog Crate

Koah, an 11-month-old boy, survived approximately 24 hours buried alive in a dog crate at a home in Lexington County, South Carolina. The child was discovered Tuesday afternoon, just over a day after he was last seen with his father, Michael Comer. Sheriff Jay Koon stated that investigators found the infant wrapped in a towel inside the crate, which was covered in pine straw and freshly disturbed dirt. Once digging began, officers heard the boy crying and worked quickly to extract him. Koon noted that the air pocket likely allowed Koah to breathe for the estimated 24-hour period underground.

The discovery followed a 911 call placed by the boy's grandmother, who reported that her son and grandchild had vanished. She told the dispatcher that Comer was not the legal custodian and that she had expected to take the baby home that evening. The grandmother explained that Comer had been released from jail the previous month and was currently on probation. She mentioned that he had been making comments about traveling to New York, a move he could not make while on probation, and that family members could not reach him for the entire day.

Comer, 25, was charged with attempted murder earlier this week. He appeared in Lexington County court on Thursday, where a judge refused to set bond on the most serious charges. During the hearing, prosecutors stated that Comer showed no remorse after being informed that Koah had been found alive. They also told the court that Comer did not assist investigators during the search for the child. Although news cameras were present, Comer was kept behind a door visible to the judge but hidden from the rest of the courtroom.

The boy's mother holds custody of the child. The grandmother left work to help coordinate the search after relatives grew concerned that Comer had not come home the night before. Koon described the rescue as a race, with multiple people working to get the infant out of the dirt. He attributed the child's survival to the air provided by the crate and the surrounding soil.

Comer's next court appearance is scheduled for December 10. The case involves the intersection of family custody disputes and the father's probation status. The 911 recording provides a direct account of the family's fear as they tried to locate the missing father and child. The sheriff's office confirmed the location of the crate was at Comer's father's house. No other family members were charged in connection with the incident.