PAWLEYS ISLAND, S.C. — An intensive search for a missing 5-year-old girl ended in heartbreak Monday after authorities found her body in a waterway near the South Carolina vacation rental where she had disappeared.
Saylor Hayes, a nonverbal child from Virginia, had wandered away from her family’s rental home in Hagley Estates in Pawleys Island on Sunday.
The community quickly mobilized as authorities launched a large-scale search. Pawleys Island is located roughly 30 miles from Myrtle Beach, and the search effort expanded across nearby properties, waterways and surrounding areas.
At approximately 9:45 a.m. Monday, agents with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources found Saylor’s body in the water near the location where she had last been seen.
The Georgetown County Sheriff’s Office said the discovery came after an intensive operation involving hundreds of people and multiple agencies.
Search Crews Used Tracking Equipment and Aircraft
Saylor had been wearing a one-piece light blue bathing suit when she disappeared. She also had a pink-and-white lanyard around her ankle with a tracking device attached.
Authorities deployed specialized equipment in an effort to locate her.
The Charleston County Sheriff’s Office used Project Lifesaver equipment both on the ground and from a helicopter for hours as crews attempted to detect a signal from the tracking device.
Project Lifesaver is designed to help locate people with cognitive conditions who may be at risk of wandering or becoming lost.
Other agencies joined the operation, deploying drones, K-9 teams and divers while crews searched waterways near the area where Saylor was last seen.
The search eventually grew into a community-wide effort, with volunteers traveling from across the region to help.
Volunteers Search Through the Night
People who had never met Saylor joined the search because they wanted to help bring the little girl home. Crystal Cooper told that she traveled about 80 miles from Peedee, South Carolina, to participate in the search.
“I just got so emotionally invested in it yesterday [Sunday] because this little girl needed us and my momma heart was in it,” Cooper said.
Other residents also spent hours looking through the neighborhood and nearby areas.
A neighbor said volunteers tried different ways to encourage Saylor to come out if she was hiding nearby. Searchers reportedly walked pets through the area and even brought in an ice cream truck playing music in an effort to attract her attention.
Ronald Gagliardi, another resident who joined the search, said he and others continued searching until after 2 a.m. He returned the following morning hoping the search would have a positive outcome.
Community Reacts to Saylor’s Death
The news that Saylor had been found brought a devastating end to the search.
Gagliardi said the discovery was heartbreaking, although recovering Saylor allowed her family to have answers about what happened to her. Cooper also became emotional while discussing the outcome.
“It’s just — it’s just heartbreaking, like really heartbreaking,” she told the outlet.
The scale of the search demonstrated how many people were determined to help the family during the difficult hours after Saylor disappeared.
The sheriff’s office said hundreds of local residents searched their own properties, surrounding areas and guarded local docks as authorities worked to locate the child.
Authorities Offer Condolences to Family
Following the discovery, officials thanked the residents, volunteers and agencies that participated in the search. The Georgetown County Sheriff’s Office expressed its deepest condolences to Saylor’s family and acknowledged the efforts made by everyone who assisted.
Although authorities have now recovered Saylor, her cause of death has not yet been released.
Investigators are expected to continue examining the circumstances surrounding her disappearance and death as the family and community begin the difficult process of grieving.
Flowers have since been placed near the boat landing where search crews had been stationed, creating a quiet memorial for the young girl.
For the hundreds who searched through the day and into the night, the mission began with hope that Saylor would be found alive. Instead, the community was left mourning a child whose disappearance had brought strangers together in an extraordinary search effort.
What are your thoughts on the massive community effort to find Saylor? Share your condolences and thoughts in the comments below.
