- Saylor Hayes, a 5-year-old enrolled in the Project Lifesaver program since June 2024, was found dead without her tracking device. The transmitter was more than 300 miles away in a vehicle at her Virginia home when she went missing.
- Authorities confirmed that Saylor wasn't wearing her Project Lifesaver band when she went missing, which could have assisted search teams in locating her much sooner.
- Saylor's parents were arrested and charged in connection with her death, as the investigation continues.
- The battery in Hayes' transmitter was successfully changed on Aug. 11, and batteries typically last 30 to 60 days.
- The Project Lifesaver band is designed to be difficult to remove; it must be physically cut off with scissors, according to officials.
Authorities in South Carolina have charged Saylor Hayes' parents with unlawfully placing a child at risk and willfully abandoning her. The 5-year-old was found dead in water near her family's rental home on August 31, after going missing the previous day.
Saylor was not wearing her Project Lifesaver transmitter, which was discovered over 300 miles away in Virginia. “What makes this situation especially heartbreaking is that Saylor did not have her transmitter with her when she went missing,” said Washington County Sheriff Blake Andis. “Had Saylor been wearing her Project Lifesaver transmitter, we believe the technology could have assisted search teams in locating her much sooner.”12367
The transmitter, designed for continuous wear, must be physically cut off to be removed, raising questions about why it was left behind. “Saylor was a vulnerable five-year-old child who depended on the adults responsible for her care and protection,” Sheriff Carter Weaver stated. “She deserved to be safe and protected.”
Saylor was last seen in a light blue bathing suit, and her body was found near Hagley Estates in Pawleys Island. An autopsy is scheduled, but officials reported no visible signs of trauma. “There is nothing we can do to bring Saylor back,” Weaver lamented. “What we can do is pursue the truth, seek accountability through our justice system.”
“The transmitter was more than 300 miles away in a vehicle at her Virginia home, and the band must be physically cut off with scissors, per officials. Sheriff Blake Andis said had she worn it, search teams could have located her sooner, but the band's removal remains under investigation.”
