A missing baby boy in South Carolina was found buried alive inside a dog crate, as the agonizing search for the child resulted in the arrest of his father.
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search → miss → father
The search ended on Tuesday as Koah Sharp was found crying inside of the buried wire crate near Batesburg-Leesville, Lexington County Sheriff Jay Koon said.
'
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Koon → end → Leesville
Just a few moments ago we found little Koah Sharp.
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we → find → Sharp
11-months-old, buried alive, clinging to life,' Koon said at a news conference.
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Koon → bury → conference
'[He was] crying, the most joyful sound you ever heard of a crying baby.'
The enormous effort involved around 100 emergency responders, as the 11-month-old is believed to have spent a horrifying 24 hours buried beneath the dirt before he was finally discovered.
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he → cry → dirt
Search teams eventually noticed 'freshly disturbed' dirt and pine straw on Tuesday afternoon, prompting law enforcement to begin digging before they finally heard the infant crying.
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infant → notice → enforcement
'As they probed it, laid it out and started digging, you could hear little Koah crying,' Koon said.
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Koon → probe → it
'So, as you imagine, the race was on, everybody's getting down there trying to get him out.'
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everybody → imagine → him
The child was then pulled from inside the crate which had been covered in a towel, which Koon said may have created an air pocket helping him survive.
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him → pull → pocket
The search ended on Tuesday as Koah Sharp, seen with his father Michael Comer, was found crying inside of the buried wire crate near Batesburg-Leesville, Sheriff Jay Koon said
The search effort involved around 100 emergency responders, as the 11-month-old is believed to have spent a horrifying 24 hours buried beneath the dirt before he was finally discovered
Search teams noticed 'freshly disturbed' dirt and pine straw on Tuesday afternoon, prompting digging before they finally heard the infant, seen with his mother Dezarae Sharp, crying
'By the Grace of God, probably provided enough air for him to survive, our estimation is about 24 hours, under that dirt,' Sheriff Koon said.
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Koon → end → dirt
The little boy was found just 50 yards from his paternal grandfather's home, after last being seen at around 11am on Monday.
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boy → find → Monday
Koah had been in the care of his grandmother – his 25-year-old father Michael Comer's mother Trish Comer – which Koon said 'happens quite often.
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Koon → say → grandmother
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When Trish needed to run an errand, the baby boy was left in the care of his father before another caregiver was set to arrive.
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caregiver → need → father
'By the time the caregiver got there, Michael was gone and Koah was gone with him
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Koah → get → him
,' Koon continued.
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Koon → continue → ?
The sheriff said that police were called at around midday on Monday, at which point they investigated the home of Comer's father 'up the street.'
At Koah's grandfather's home, police found both doors open, baby belongings in the house but 'no sign of Michael or the baby.'
The boy's father was 'not known to have a car,' and police believed he hitchhiked from 'place to place.'
Koah had been in the care of his grandmother, his 25-year-old father Comer's mother Trish Comer, which Koon said 'happens quite often'
When Trish needed to run an errand, the baby boy was left in the care of his father before another caregiver was set to arrive.
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caregiver → say → father
'By the time the caregiver got there, Michael was gone and Koah was gone with him,' Koon said
The boy's father was 'not known to have a car,' and police believed he hitchhiked from 'place to place'
Investigators later discovered video of Comer in the Batesburg-Leeville area 'with no baby.'
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Investigators → get → baby
Koon added that the department was 'hoping and praying' Comer had left the child with another caregiver, but 'as the day went on and nobody came forward, it was certainly more and more concerning.'
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it → add → caregiver
Late on Monday evening, Comer was found in an outbuilding at a house in Batesburg and was arrested on charges of burglary and resisting arrest.
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Comer → find → burglary
'He didn't have much to say about the whereabouts of the baby at that time,' Koon added.
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Koon → have → time
Koah's devastated mother, Dezarae Sharp, said Comer had been allowed to visit his son on weekends since 'he's been going to therapy and stopped drinking.'
'His dad decided though it was time to get jealous over other guys, so he pulled this on this weekends trip,' she said, adding that Comer 'is a harm to himself as far as I've heard, so possibly to others.'
Comer's mother, Trish, wrote on Facebook that she had left work early after she 'felt like something was wrong' and called the police after realizing her son had taken the child.
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son → say → child
I called [the police] as soon as I realized he took the baby,' she wrote.
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she → call → baby
'He had his dad pick him up and then he took off on foot with Koah from his dad's house.
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he → have → house
'
On Monday evening, Comer was found in an outbuilding in Batesburg and arrested on charges of burglary and resisting arrest, with 'not much to say about the whereabouts of the baby'
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Comer → find → baby
Koah's devastated mother, Dezarae, pictured, said Comer had been allowed to visit his son on weekends since 'he's been going to therapy and stopped drinking'
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he → picture → therapy
Comer's mother Trish Comer said that she knew her 'son's a problem,' but 'did not know that he was this bad.'
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he → say → ?
'He loved that baby, he'd do anything for that baby,' she said
Trish posted numerous times desperately seeking help to find Koah, describing it was 'such a horrific time.'
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it → love → Koah
'I love that grandbaby with all my heart...
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I → love → heart
I have not slept in over 24 hours...
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I → sleep → hours
you don't know what it's like to lose a grandchild like that and have your son do something like this and I'm not trying to play the woe me card but this whole situation has been heartbreaking.'
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situation → know → card
Comer's mother went on to say that she knew her 'son's a problem,' but 'did not know that he was this bad.'
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he → go → ?
'He loved that baby, he'd do anything for that baby.
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he → love → baby
He took good care of that baby, if you could see him with that baby he was wonderful,' she wrote.
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she → take → baby
'I did not know that he would do something like this and I'm sorry that I did not see this beforehand.'
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I → know → this
The Daily Mail reached out to the Lexington County Sheriff's Office for comment.
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Mail → reach → comment
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