Five-year-old Saylor Hayes disappeared during a family vacation.
The following day, she was found dead in the water. Now the medical examiner has confirmed the cause of death – while the circumstances surrounding her death are still under investigation.
Saylor Hayes, 5, disappeared from the family’s vacation rental on Pawleys Island in South Carolina, USA, on August 30. Her body was found in nearby water the following day.
Following an extensive investigation, the Georgetown County medical examiner has determined that Saylor died of oxygen deprivation due to drowning. Child neglect is listed as a contributing factor. However, the manner of death has been classified as undetermined: investigators were unable to conclude whether the death was an accident or the result of a criminal act, according to local authorities, as reported by People.
The parents were charged following Saylor’s death
Saylor’s parents, John Herb Hayes III, 71, and Geordyn Nichole Hayes, 31, were arrested on September 1. They were charged with with unlawfully placing a child at risk/willfully abandoning a child.
Police documents allege that Saylor was left unsupervised near water. She had autism, was non-verbal, and had a known tendency to seek out water and wander off on her own, according to the investigation.
Police have also stated that the parents reportedly asked authorities to use Saylor’s tracking equipment from the Project Lifesaver program, despite the fact that it had been removed before the family left their home in Virginia. According to police, she was not wearing the equipment when she was found.
Prosecutors have not established that the parents bear responsibility for her death. The charges brought against them are to be decided in court.
The circumstances of the death remain unclear
A preliminary autopsy in September found fluid in Saylor’s lungs but no visible external or internal injuries, as reported by WCIV. The final assessment now confirms drowning as the cause of death, but leaves the question of how the death occurred open.
The parents are expected to return to court on November 19 in connection with the charges, according to WYFF.
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