South Carolina Baby Found Alive in Buried Dog Crate

An 11-month-old boy was found alive Tuesday, November 10, inside a buried dog crate in Lexington County, South Carolina, after searchers heard him crying beneath disturbed soil. Sheriff Jay Koon said Koah Sharpe had likely been underground for about 24 hours before rescuers dug him out and took him to hospital. His father, Michael Comer, had been arrested the previous night, but Koah was not with him.

Koon said nearly 100 law enforcement officers, firefighters and other emergency personnel took part in the search. Searchers noticed freshly disturbed earth in woods about 50 yards from the home of Koah’s paternal grandfather. As they began digging, they heard the baby crying and rushed to free him.

The infant was inside a wire dog crate wrapped in a towel and buried in a shallow hole. Koon estimated the crate was about two feet by two feet. He said the towel may have created an air pocket that helped Koah survive, while cooler weather may also have helped. The estimated time underground was the sheriff’s assessment, not a precise measurement.

Koah was taken to hospital for treatment. Koon said he hoped the boy would make a full recovery, but officials had not provided a detailed...