Searchers spotted freshly disturbed dirt in the South Carolina woods, and when they started digging, they could hear an 11-month-old crying

An 11-month-old boy named Koah was found alive on Tuesday after being buried in a shallow grave in the South Carolina woods, as reported by The Guardian. The baby was found inside a dog crate that had been wrapped in a towel and placed under the dirt, and authorities believe he was buried for about 24 hours.

Lexington County Sheriff Jay Koon said during a news conference that a search party noticed freshly disturbed earth about 50 yards from the home of the boy’s paternal grandfather. As the group began to dig, they could hear the infant crying. Koon described the rescue as a race, saying everyone on the scene moved fast to get the baby out.

“Certainly God is good. Just a few moments ago, we found little Koah, 11 months old, buried alive, clinging to life, crying. The most joyful sound you ever heard of a crying baby,” Koon said. The sheriff said the towel wrapped around the crate may have provided enough air for the infant to survive underground.

The search started with an open door

Koah went missing on Monday after he was left in the care of his father, 25-year-old Michael Comer, while the boy’s mother ran an errand. Deputies went to the home of Comer’s father and found the doors open and the baby’s belongings inside, but no sign of Comer or the child, according to NBC News.

Deputies located Comer late Monday night in the Batesburg-Leesville area and arrested him on suspicion of burglary, but Koah was not with him. About 100 people joined the search, including the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, the FBI, and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

The wire crate measured about 2 feet by 2 feet and was found around 1:30 PM on Tuesday, Koon said. He added that the cool weather may also have helped the baby survive. “He was screaming at the top of his lungs, which is a good thing in the baby world, I would guess,” Koon said.

Comer has not been charged in connection with Koah’s burial, and the sheriff’s department is now working with prosecutors to determine whether he will face additional charges. The case comes days after police in South Carolina said a dad left his daughter outside Target to hold his place in line for Pokémon cards.

Koah was taken to a hospital for treatment, and Koon said he hopes the baby will make a full recovery. “We want to thank everybody and celebrate the fact today that an 11-month-old baby is alive,” Koon said.