A 911 call made moments after Saylor Hayes, a nonverbal 5-year-old with autism, disappeared from a rental home in Pawleys Island, South Carolina, captured her father’s frantic report to dispatchers. The child was reported missing late Sunday morning, Aug. 30, after her father said she escaped from a vehicle while the family prepared to go to the beach. Her body was found Monday in nearby waters, and her parents were arrested in Tennessee the following day.
The investigation remains focused on the circumstances surrounding the disappearance, the initial search and allegations that searchers were directed toward a tracking device rather than the water. Arrest warrants accuse the parents of placing their daughter in danger or abandoning her, but the warrants do not state the cause or manner of death.
| 1) | The emergency call and missing-child report |
| 2) | The search near Pawleys Island waters |
| 3) | Questions surrounding the tracking device |
| 4) | Recovery of the child and arrests |
| 5) | What remains unresolved in the case |
The emergency call and missing-child report
John Herb Hayes III, 70, called 911 shortly before 11:40 a.m. from a rental home on Old Waccamaw Drive in Pawleys Island. He told the dispatcher that his daughter had disappeared after he went inside to get juice and other items before the family left for the beach.
“I need help,” Hayes told the dispatcher. “My little 4-year-old, 5-year-old girl, she’s very autistic, just escaped.”
Hayes described Saylor as white, with brown hair and green eyes, and said she may have been wearing a bluish bathing suit. When asked whether she responded to her name, he said she was nonverbal. He also told the dispatcher that she had been buckled into a vehicle before he went inside.
The search near Pawleys Island waters
A deputy arrived within minutes, according to dispatch records. Hayes searched the property while officials began coordinating a wider response. During the call, he specifically said he needed to check the nearby water, an important detail because the rental home was close to waterways and the child had wandered from the Hagley Estates community.
“Yeah, I need to go look at the water,” Hayes said. “I’ve got to look around. I’ve got to find her.”
More than 200 residents joined deputies, firefighters, state agents and other personnel in searching nearby properties and monitoring local docks. The response included a South Carolina Department of Natural Resources dive team, drones, a marine unit and a helicopter. Officials established command outside the home and deployed personnel to watch the water.
Questions surrounding the tracking device
Dispatchers also investigated whether Saylor was carrying a Project Lifesaver tracking device. A caller said she had the device, but authorities needed a code from Washington County, Virginia, to operate it and determine its frequency. Dispatchers contacted Virginia officials while the search continued.
Arrest warrants allege that John Herb Hayes III and Geordyn Nichole Hayes, 31, directed search efforts toward a tracking device they knew Saylor was not wearing and away from nearby water. The warrants further allege that the device had been removed before the family left Virginia.
The dispatch records do not establish what the parents knew about the device or what instructions they may have given searchers. They do show that law enforcement pursued both the tracking technology and the water during the initial response.
Recovery of the child and arrests
Department of Natural Resources agents found Saylor’s body at about 9:45 a.m. Monday in waters near where she was last seen. A later call-for-service entry recorded that the child had been found and instructed DNR personnel to take her to the morgue.
John Herb Hayes III and Geordyn Nichole Hayes were arrested Tuesday evening in Tennessee and booked into the Carter County Jail on fugitive-from-justice charges. Authorities said the couple would be returned to South Carolina after extradition proceedings. The parents are accused under South Carolina law of putting their daughter in danger or abandoning her.
What remains unresolved in the case
The available warrants do not identify Saylor’s cause or manner of death. They also do not resolve the sequence of events between her disappearance, the search near the rental property and her recovery in the water.
The investigation must now address the child’s movements, the use and removal of the tracking device, the information provided to searchers and the decisions made during the initial emergency response. The allegations remain claims, and the criminal proceedings will determine what evidence supports them.
| 1 | Saylor Hayes was reported missing from a Pawleys Island rental home on Aug. 30. |
| 2 | Search teams used divers, drones, marine personnel and a helicopter. |
| 3 | Her body was found Monday in nearby waters. |
| 4 | Her parents were arrested in Tennessee and face allegations under South Carolina law. |
Summary
The 911 call shows that Saylor’s father reported her disappearance and identified nearby water as an area requiring an immediate search. Authorities mounted a broad response, but the child was later found dead. The investigation and court proceedings will determine the facts behind the disappearance, the search instructions and the parents’ alleged conduct.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did Saylor Hayes disappear?
She was reported missing shortly before 11:40 a.m. on Aug. 30 from a rental home in Pawleys Island, South Carolina.
Where was Saylor found?
Department of Natural Resources agents found her body Monday in waters near where she was last seen.
What charges do her parents face?
John Herb Hayes III and Geordyn Nichole Hayes were arrested on fugitive-from-justice charges in Tennessee. Warrants accuse them of putting their daughter in danger or abandoning her under South Carolina law.
Has the cause of death been released?
No. The warrants do not state Saylor’s cause or manner of death.