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PAWLEYS ISLAND, S.C. (BFMG) — A search for a missing 5-year-old girl ended in tragedy Monday morning after authorities said her body was found in the water near where she was last seen.
Saylor Hayes disappeared Sunday from her family’s rental home on Old Waccamaw Drive in the Hagley community of Pawleys Island, setting off a large search involving deputies, firefighters, K-9 teams, boats, drones, divers and volunteers.
The Georgetown County Sheriff’s Office (GCSO) said Saylor had wandered away from the home. She was described as nonverbal and was wearing a Project Lifesaver transponder, a tracking device designed to help locate people who may wander.
Deputies used Project Lifesaver equipment on the ground, while a Charleston County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) helicopter equipped with the same technology searched from the air.
At the same time, crews searched the neighborhood, nearby docks, shoreline and water.
Horry County divers searched roughly 200 yards underwater near the rental property Sunday, while Midway Fire Department (MFD) and the sheriff’s office Marine Patrol searched by boat. Deputies, K-9 teams and other crews continued working into the night.
“We’re here until we find her,” Georgetown County Sheriff Carter Weaver said as the search continued Sunday.
The sheriff’s office announced Monday morning that agents with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) had found Saylor’s body in the water near the area where she was last seen.
The recovery was announced at about 9:45 a.m.
Authorities have not released additional details about how Saylor entered the water, and the information released so far does not identify an official cause of death.
Chase Ridgeway, Georgetown County’s Coroner told our outlet that an autopsy is scheduled for Friday at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC). Ridgeway says “at this time there is no visible signs of trauma. The case and manner of death remain undermined pending the completion of the autopsy and any necessary additional testing.”
The case brought an extensive response from multiple agencies and community members, with neighbors also asked to review security camera footage and help search the area.
We’re told the investigation remains active and ongoing as authorities continue to investigate the moments surrounding the 5-year-old’s tragic death.
The Hayes family traveled to South Carolina from the Bristol, Virginia area to vacation at the sprawling rental home situated along the Waccamow River in Pawleys Island.
GAB News captured a short interview with Geordyn Hayes, Saylor’s mother just moments before her daughter’s corpse was found floating on the surface of the water behind the rental home. She says at 11:37 AM they discovered the child missing from the car, but when reviewing the cameras, the couple only saw themselves going to look for her and there was no video of the child going towards the water. When Scott Harper of GAB News asked Hayes if she could answer provide a comment, she responded “no. I don’t want to say anything else. The cops told me not to say anything while the investigation is ongoing.”
Further investigation reveals former pending charges of “contributing to the delinquency of a minor” “public intoxication” and a dismissed charge of “cruelty/injuring a child” in both Washington County General District Court and Washington County Juvenile & Domestic Court from February 17, 2026. We’ve requested additional information from the Washington County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) regarding the nature of those charges and if they are in any way related to 5-year-old Saylor Hayes.
That agency is also the local agency listed for the monitoring of the Project Lifesaver device believed to be worn by Saylor at the time she disappeared. Washington County Sheriff Blake Andis issued a statement on Tuesday that states “a
We are continuing to gather additional information in this case as it develops. Stay tuned for more.
