PAWLEYS ISLAND, S.C. — A search for a missing 5-year-old girl ended in tragedy Monday when authorities found Saylor Hayes dead in waters near Hagley Landing, a boat ramp leading to the Waccamaw River.
Saylor, who was described by authorities as autistic and nonverbal, had disappeared Sunday afternoon from a rental property in Hagley Estates in Pawleys Island.
Her disappearance prompted an extensive search involving hundreds of people and multiple agencies.
Authorities initially said Saylor’s mother reported that the child had wandered away from the rental home. She was reportedly last seen wearing her swimsuit.
The search quickly focused on finding the young girl before investigators eventually located her body in the water near Hagley Landing.
Parents Arrested in Tennessee
Saylor’s parents, John Herb Hayes III, 70, and Geordyn Nichole Hayes, 31, of Bristol, Virginia, were arrested Monday evening in Carter County, Tennessee.
The Georgetown County Sheriff’s Office said both were charged with unlawfully placing a child at risk or willfully abandoning a child.
The parents were being held at the Carter County Detention Center without bond while awaiting an extradition hearing. It was not immediately clear whether either parent had obtained an attorney.
The arrest warrant affidavits provide additional details about the circumstances investigators say preceded Saylor’s disappearance.
Authorities allege that the parents failed to provide supervision and safeguards appropriate for a severely nonverbal autistic child who had a known affinity for water and a history of elopement, meaning wandering away from caregivers.
Project Lifesaver Device Was Left Behind
One of the key elements in the investigation involves a Project Lifesaver transmitter that Saylor had reportedly worn since 2024. The wearable device is designed to help law enforcement locate people at risk of wandering by transmitting a trackable frequency.
However, investigators said the transmitter had been removed before the family left Virginia for South Carolina. According to the affidavits, Saylor was later left unsupervised within about 15 meters of a body of water.
When she disappeared, the parents allegedly encouraged searchers to focus on locating her through the tracking device, despite knowing that Saylor was not wearing it.
Investigators also allege that search efforts were directed away from the nearby water. Those details became a significant part of the investigation following Saylor’s death.
Tracker Was Found Inside Vehicle in Virginia
The Washington County Sheriff’s Office in Virginia said it operates the Project Lifesaver program in which Saylor enrolled in June 2024. After Saylor disappeared, Georgetown County authorities contacted the Virginia agency seeking information about her transmitter.
When search teams in South Carolina could not detect Saylor’s assigned frequency, Virginia authorities were asked to check the family’s home.
Officers responding to the Hayes residence reportedly detected the frequency assigned to Saylor’s transmitter. The device was found inside a vehicle on the property, not with Saylor.
The Washington County Sheriff’s Office emphasized that the transmitter is designed for continuous wear and is attached using a specialized band.
According to the agency, the band must be physically cut to remove the transmitter and cannot simply be unclasped or removed by the person wearing it.
Sheriff Says Saylor Deserved to Be Protected
Georgetown County Sheriff Carter Weaver called Saylor’s death “a heartbreaking tragedy” that has deeply affected the community.
“Saylor was a vulnerable five-year-old child who depended upon the adults responsible for her care and protection,” Weaver said. “She deserved to be safe. She deserved to be protected.”
The sheriff said authorities will continue pursuing the facts surrounding the girl’s death and the circumstances that led to the criminal charges.
“Nothing we do can bring Saylor back,” Weaver said. “What we can do is pursue the truth, seek accountability through our justice system, and continue doing everything within our authority to protect the most vulnerable members of our community.”
Investigation Continues After Tragic Discovery
The arrests do not mark the end of the investigation.
Authorities are continuing to examine the circumstances surrounding Saylor’s disappearance, the removal of her tracking device and the events leading to her death in the water.
For a community that came together in a massive search effort, the discovery of Saylor’s body brought a heartbreaking conclusion to the search.
Her death has also raised serious questions about the safeguards in place for vulnerable children who are at risk of wandering, particularly around bodies of water.
The parents remain in Tennessee as the extradition process moves forward, while investigators continue working to establish the full sequence of events.
What do you think about the circumstances surrounding Saylor’s disappearance and the parents’ arrests? Share your thoughts in the comments.
