An 11-month-old baby was buried alive in a dog crate in the woods for around 24 hours and miraculously survived.
The Search for Little Koah
The rescue of Koah Sharp in South Carolina is nothing short of a miracle. More than 100 first responders had been searching for the missing baby since Monday afternoon. They scoured the area near his grandfather’s house in Batesburg-Leesville, looking for any sign of him.
About 50 yards into the woods, on a neighbor’s property, they noticed a patch of freshly disturbed dirt. Then they heard the cries coming from beneath the ground.
Most of us would expect the worst when seeing a fresh grave during a missing child search. Hearing a baby cry out from under that dirt must be a sound those rescuers will never forget.
A Cry From Beneath the Dirt
Koah was only about a foot underground. Rescuers dug frantically and found him wrapped in a towel inside a dog crate. Sheriff Jay Koon said the baby was “crying the most joyful sound you ever heard of a crying baby.” He believes the towel created an air pocket and that cool temperatures helped keep the boy alive.
Koon noted, “By the grace of God, [it] probably provided enough air for him to survive an estimated 24 hours under that dirt” and added “Certainly, God is good.”
Koah’s grandfather, John Comer, was completely amazed by the rescue. He told reporters, “God had to have laid in the ground with Koah for the entire, entirety of that time.” He also declared, “Only God can deliver miracles in this fashion.”
Father Charged With Attempted Murder
The boy’s father, Michael Comer, is now facing charges of attempted murder, burglary, unlawful conduct toward a child and custodial interference. Michael’s mother, Patricia Comer, had called 911 because she was worried about leaving the baby with him. She told dispatchers her son had severe schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and depression, and that he had asked for sleeping pills the night before.
But John Comer, who had taken them in that day, said Michael seemed completely rational. He recalled, “He was not emotional. He was not excited. He was just, he appeared a loving, a loving and caring father. He fed the baby. He changed the baby’s diaper. He held the baby. The baby played for a while. He was in his right mind.”
Bond Denied for Koah’s Father
Authorities arrested Michael Comer while he was hiding in an outbuilding. An investigator said he showed no remorse and tried to flee the state, so a judge denied his bond. Court records show he was already on probation for a domestic violence incident where he pushed Koah’s mother while she was holding the baby. Now the family is trying to pick up the pieces.
A GoFundMe was started for Koah’s mother, Dezarae Sharp, who a family member says is currently sick and pregnant, to help with medical and legal bills. Despite it all, John Comer feels no pity for his son. Choking back a sob, he said, “Koah’s alive. He’s alive. That’s what matters.”
The good news is that Koah is now home with his family. He was released from the hospital Tuesday night, and doctors expect him to make a full recovery.
God Was With Him in the Dark
When you hear a story like this, it’s hard to understand how anyone could do this to a baby. As Koon said, it’s only by the grace of God that this poor child survived that terrifying ordeal. I believe God was with him right there in the crate all those hours.
We serve a God who never leaves us to suffer alone. He steps into our pit and holds us in His mighty hands. Our God is good from generation to generation. In the Bible, we read about Joseph, who was thrown into a pit by his own brothers, yet God was with him and later used that betrayal to save many lives.
Koah is too young to understand any of this. He could not pray or call for help. All he could do was cry. But God heard him long before the rescuers did.
Many people think God only worked miracles in Bible times, but He keeps showing us that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
Please pray for little Koah and his mother today. Ask God to heal their minds and bodies from this awful trauma and to provide for all their needs.
“In my distress I called upon the LORD, And cried out to my God; He heard my voice from His temple, And my cry came before Him, even to His ears.” Psalm 18:6 NKJV
WATCH: Baby Koah’s Miraculous Rescue
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