Missing South Carolina Baby Found Buried Alive in Dog Crate, Father Arrested
An 11-month-old boy who went missing in South Carolina was found alive Tuesday, buried in a dog crate in the woods, a day after authorities say his father took him. Searchers in Lexington County said they heard the baby crying as they dug him out of the dirt.
The boy's father, 25-year-old Michael Comer, was arrested Monday night, and investigators say more charges could be coming.
How the Baby Went Missing
The ordeal began Monday, when the boy had been left in Comer's care while a family member ran an errand. When another caregiver arrived, Comer and the baby were gone, according to ABC News.
Deputies were called around lunchtime and went to a home where Comer's father lives. The doors were open and the baby's belongings were inside, but neither the boy nor his father was there, WISN reported.
Investigators later found video of Comer in the Batesburg-Leesville area without the child. That night, deputies found him in an outbuilding at a property in Batesburg. The baby was not with him, and Comer did not tell investigators where the child was. The boy's whereabouts remained unknown into Tuesday.
Lexington County Sheriff Jay Koon said investigators were "hoping and praying that he dropped the baby with another person." As the hours passed without anyone coming forward, Koon said, "it was certainly more and more concerning."
Found 50 Yards Into the Woods
Because Comer was found without his son, investigators turned their attention to the area around his father's home. On Tuesday, nearly 100 officers and other first responders joined the search there, with some reports putting the number of investigators involved at more than 100.
A search team spotted "freshly disturbed dirt" in pine straw about 50 yards into the woods. When they began digging, they heard the baby crying.
The boy was inside a wire dog crate that had been wrapped in a towel and buried under a shallow layer of dirt. Koon said the towel "probably created an air pocket" that helped keep the child alive. He said the baby may have been buried for as long as 24 hours.
"Eleven months old, buried alive, clinging to life, crying," Koon said at a news conference, according to WSB-TV.
The sheriff described the baby's cries as "the most joyful sound you ever heard of a crying baby." He added, "Certainly, God is good."
Koon shared those details at a news conference, describing the moment searchers realized the child was still alive under the dirt. He said the investigation into what happened remains ongoing.
The Baby's Condition
The discovery came roughly a day after the boy was first reported missing. When searchers reached him, Koon said, he was "clinging to life."
Still, the boy was "screaming at the top of his lungs" when rescuers pulled him from the crate. He was rushed to a hospital for treatment.
Authorities have not released detailed information about his condition. Koon said he hopes the child will make a full recovery. CNN said it had requested an update on the boy's condition.
Charges Against the Father
Comer was initially booked on charges of burglary and resisting arrest. Investigators are working with the local solicitor's office on possible additional charges, the sheriff said.
Authorities have not shared a motive. Koon said there had been previous issues between Comer and the child's mother, but he did not give details.
It is not clear whether Comer has an attorney who could comment on his behalf, CNN reported. He has not been charged in connection with the baby's burial, and the investigation is ongoing. Comer is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
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