Cause of death revealed for 5-year-old Saylor Hayes 2 months after parents charged

GEORGETOWN COUNTY, SC (WMBF/Gray News) - The investigation into the death of Saylor Hayes has concluded.

The Georgetown County Coroner’s Office determined the 5-year-old’s cause of death and announced it had concluded its investigation.

Saylor was reported missing in August while vacationing with her family in the Pawleys Island area. Her body was later found in the waters near where she was last seen.

Following an investigation, coroner Chase Ridgeway determined Saylor’s cause of death to be asphyxia due to drowning, with child neglect identified as a contributory factor.

The manner of death has been classified as undetermined. This classification reflects the inability to conclusively determine whether Saylor’s death was accidental or the result of a homicidal act, according to the coroner’s office.

According to the arrest warrants, Saylor, described as being severely nonverbal and autistic with a history of wandering and a known affinity for water, was left unsupervised near a body of water before she went missing.

Saylor’s parents, John Hayes III and Geordyn Hayes, were arrested after investigators alleged they misled deputies during the search for their daughter.

Washington County Sheriff Blake Andis said Saylor had been enrolled in the agency’s Project Lifesaver program since June 2024.

Project Lifesaver helps authorities find people who are at risk of wandering because of cognitive conditions or other special needs. People in the program wear a small transmitter that emits a radio frequency, helping authorities track missing people.

A helicopter equipped with the technology was even deployed to help locate her. However, Weaver said they couldn’t get a ping from Saylor.

Andis said it was discovered that Saylor did not have her transmitter when she went missing after wandering from her family’s rental home. Instead, investigators found the tracker in a vehicle on the property.

According to the warrants, John Hayes and Geordyn Hayes encouraged deputies to use Project Lifesaver, despite knowing Saylor did not have her transmitter.

The two also allegedly tried to divert the search efforts away from the nearby water.

“It is important to understand that Project Lifesaver is a voluntary program,” Andis said. “A parent, guardian or caregiver is responsible for ensuring the transmitter remains properly secured to the client. The transmitter is attached using a specialized band designed for continuous wear. It cannot simply be unclasped or removed by the client; the band must be physically cut in order to remove the transmitter.”

Andis reiterated that Project Lifesaver works and he believes that if Saylor had been wearing her transmitter, deputies could have found her much sooner.

John and Geordyn Hayes were arrested in Tennessee and charged with unlawfully placing a child at risk, or willfully abandoning a child, according to the Georgetown County Sheriff’s Office.