# Saylor Hayes’ cause of death revealed months after non-verbal 5-year-old was found dead in South Carolina river

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/saylor-hayes-cause-of-death-revealed-months-after-non-verbal-5-year-old-was-found-dead-in-south-carolina-river/
- Published: 2026-11-10T00:53:56+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-10T01:22:38+00:00
- Original publisher: New York Post (publisher lean: Right)
- Original article: https://nypost.com/2026/11/09/us-news/saylor-hayes-cause-of-death-revealed-months-after-she-was-found-dead-in-south-carolina-river/
- Topics: World

## Key points

- Saylor Hayes died by drowning, with child neglect listed as a contributing factor.
- The coroner could not determine whether her death was accidental or a homicide.
- Her parents face charges over alleged neglect and abandonment.

## Summary

A South Carolina coroner has ruled that five-year-old Saylor Hayes died from drowning, with child neglect contributing to her death. The manner of death remains undetermined because investigators could not establish whether it was accidental or the result of a homicide.

Saylor, who was autistic and non-verbal, was found in the Waccamaw River on 31 August after going missing during a family holiday on Pawleys Island. She was not wearing her Project Lifesaver transmitter, which authorities said appeared to have been removed before she left the family home in Virginia. Her parents were arrested in Tennessee and face charges related to placing a child at risk and abandonment; they have not been convicted.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.