Nonverbal 5-Year-Old Found Dead After Wandering From South Carolina Vacation Rental

Saylor Hayes, a nonverbal five-year-old from Virginia, went missing Sunday after wandering away from her Hagley Estates rental on Pawleys Island, about 30 miles from Myrtle Beach. She was last seen in a light-blue one-piece bathing suit with a pink and white ankle lanyard that held a tracking device. The Charleston County Sheriff’s Office activated Project Lifesaver technology on land and by helicopter, while the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, along with drones, K-9 units and divers, scanned nearby waterways.

Hundreds of local volunteers, such as Crystal Cooper, who traveled 80 miles from Peedee, and Ronald Gagliardi, stayed out past 2 a.m. to aid the search. On Monday around 9:45 a.m., authorities recovered Saylor’s body from the water near the spot she was last seen. The cause of death has not yet been disclosed, and officials praised the community’s extensive response.