An 11-month-old boy was rescued alive from a shallow grave in South Carolina after being buried inside a dog crate by his father, according to ABC.
The infant was found “in fin di vita” after spending an estimated 24 hours buried underground.
Rescuers found the infant wrapped in a towel inside a wire dog crate buried roughly 45 meters from a relative’s home. A roughly 60-centimeter-per-side metal dog crate was recovered from a shallow hole after investigators noticed a patch of recently disturbed earth near the home of Michael Comer’s father in a wooded area.
Nearly 100 personnel from local law enforcement, the fire department, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, the FBI, and the ATF participated in the search operation.
Lexington County Sheriff Jay Koon described the moment authorities located the infant during excavation work on Tuesday afternoon. “Mentre sondavano il terreno, lo smuovevano e iniziavano a scavare, si sentiva il piccolo piangere – ha detto lo sceriffo – è stata una corsa contro il tempo,” Koon said.
Sheriff Koon said that the infant cried “con il suono più gioioso che si possa mai sentire da un bambino che piange.” Investigators believe the towel wrapped around the child helped form an air pocket that allowed him to survive approximately 24 hours underground.
The incident began Monday afternoon at the home of the child’s mother, where the 11-month-old, named Koah, had been left in the temporary care of his 25-year-old father, Michael Comer, while the mother ran an errand. A scheduled babysitter arrived to find both father and child gone. The child’s mother had also arranged for another person to look after the boy before she left.
Deputies located Comer late Monday evening in the Batesburg-Leesville area after he forced entry into a residence. Comer was arrested, but authorities said he provided little initial information regarding the child’s whereabouts.
Following his extraction from the wooded area, the infant was transported to a hospital for medical treatment.
“Spero che a 11 mesi, crescendo, non ricorderà nulla di tutto questo,” Sheriff Koon told reporters during a press briefing.
Authorities estimate that the 11-month-old child spent approximately 24 hours buried in the shallow grave before rescue teams located him on Tuesday afternoon.
The overnight search involved nearly 100 personnel, including Lexington County deputies, firefighters, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, the FBI, and the ATF.
The baby is currently hospitalized receiving medical evaluation and treatment, with law enforcement officials stating they hope for his complete recovery.