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5-Year-Old's Drowning Cause Revealed
10 Nov
Summary
- Saylor Hayes, 5, died of asphyxia due to drowning.
- Child neglect was a contributing factor in her death.
- Her parents face charges for allegedly leaving her unsupervised.
The Georgetown County Coroner's Office has revealed the cause of death for 5-year-old Saylor Hayes. Her passing was determined to be asphyxia due to drowning, with child neglect identified as a contributing factor.
Saylor was found deceased on August 31, one day after she disappeared from a vacation rental in Pawleys Island, South Carolina. Preliminary findings in September noted fluid in her lungs but no signs of trauma, leaving the manner of death undetermined at that time.
In connection with her death, her parents, John Herb Hayes III, 71, and Geordyn Nichole Hayes, 31, were arrested in Tennessee on September 1. They face charges of unlawfully placing a child at risk or willfully abandoning a child.
Arrest affidavits suggest Saylor, who had severe nonverbal autism and an affinity for water, was left unsupervised near a body of water. Authorities also alleged her parents knew her tracking device was removed before they left their home and that she was not wearing it when found.
