Parents arrested after 5-year-old girl found dead near Pawleys Island, SC
The body of 5-year-old Saylor Hayes was recovered Monday in waters near Pawleys Island after an overnight search. Her parents have since been arrested.
Body of missing 5-year-old Saylor Hayes recovered in waters near Pawleys Island
The body of a missing five-year-old girl has been found in the waters near Pawleys Island, South Carolina, following a multi-agency search that stretched through the night, wmbfnews.com reports. Her parents have since been arrested by Georgetown County deputies.
Agents with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources recovered the body of Saylor Hayes at around 9:45 a.m. Monday. Hayes, who was nonverbal, had last been seen after wandering from her family's rental home along Old Waccamaw Drive in the Hagley Community. The Georgetown County Sheriff's Office first reported her disappearance at 12:31 p.m. Sunday.
Sheriff Carter Weaver confirmed that Hayes and her family are from Virginia.
The search involved multiple agencies and methods. Deputies attempted to locate Hayes using Project Lifesaver, a tracking technology used for individuals who may wander. Drones, K-9 units, divers, water search crews, and a Charleston County Sheriff's Office helicopter equipped with Project Lifesaver technology were all deployed. The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division contributed a helicopter and an underwater drone, while the U.S. Coast Guard sent a vessel to assist.
Hundreds of residents from the surrounding area also joined the effort, searching their own properties and guarding docks throughout the night.
Crystal Cooper, who traveled from the Pee Dee region to help, described her emotional involvement in the search. "I just got so emotionally invested in it yesterday because this little girl needed us and my momma heart was in it," Cooper said. She and others reportedly stayed past 2 a.m., checking every possible location, including dog houses.
"We felt if we left, we were giving up on her," Cooper said. "So we would all be like 'Oh we gotta go, we gotta go,' and then we were here for like another hour, we're standing here still."
Neighbor Ronald Gagliardi also remained at the scene past 2 a.m. and returned Monday morning to continue the search before learning Hayes' body had been found.
"It just stays with you," Gagliardi said. "Last night, even though we were all tired, many of us were talking — couldn't sleep without any kind of answers."
On learning of the recovery, Gagliardi called the outcome devastating, but acknowledged it offered some closure. "It's at least a positive thing for the family that she was recovered," he said.
Volunteers had tried various tactics to encourage Hayes to approach them, including walking with pets and bringing in an ice cream truck to play music through the neighbourhood.
Flowers were left near the boat landing where search crews had been stationed. A cause of death has not yet been released. The Georgetown County Sheriff's Office extended its condolences to the Hayes family and thanked all those who participated in the search.
Source: Google News GY — Georgetown