A 5-year-old girl was found dead after wandering away from her family's vacation rental home in South Carolina. The body of Saylor Hayes was discovered around 9:45 a.m. on Monday following a search that involved hundreds of people and multiple agencies, according to the Georgetown County Sheriff’s Office.
Saylor, who was nonverbal and from Virginia, had gone missing from her rental home in Hagley Estates in Pawleys Island, approximately 30 miles from Myrtle Beach, on Sunday. At the time of her disappearance, she was wearing a light blue one-piece bathing suit and a pink and white lanyard with a tracking device attached to her ankle.
The Charleston County Sheriff’s Office utilized Project Lifesaver equipment, which is designed to locate individuals with cognitive conditions who are prone to wandering. This search included land and aerial efforts to detect a signal from the tracking device.
In addition to the sheriff's office, other agencies deployed drones, K-9 units, and divers to search the waterways near the area where Saylor was last seen. Volunteers from the community also participated in the search efforts.
Crystal Cooper, a volunteer who traveled approximately 80 miles to assist, expressed her emotional investment in the search, stating that she felt compelled to help. Other volunteers attempted to lure Saylor out by walking pets in the area and even bringing in an ice cream truck to play music.
Ronald Gagliardi, another resident who joined the search, shared his heartbreak upon learning of Saylor's death. He noted that while the news was devastating, it was at least a positive outcome for the family that she was found.
Authorities have not yet released a cause of death. Following the discovery, officials acknowledged the efforts of the volunteers and agencies involved in the search. The Georgetown County Sheriff’s Office expressed gratitude to those who assisted and extended condolences to Saylor's family.
As the community mourns, flowers have been placed near the boat landing where search crews were stationed.