Saylor Hayes, five, was found dead in a waterway in Pawleys Island, South Carolina, after going missing from her family’s holiday home.13:45, 01 Sep 2026A five-year-old girl who went missing from her family’s holiday home has been found dead in a waterway after a huge overnight search involving hundreds of people.‌Saylor Hayes was found at around 9.45am on Monday near the spot where she had last been seen in Pawleys Island, South Carolina.‌The youngster, who was non-verbal and visiting from Virginia with her family, disappeared on Sunday after wandering away from their rental home in the Hagley Community.‌She was last seen wearing a light blue one-piece bathing suit and had a pink and white lanyard with a tracking device attached around her ankle.The Georgetown County Sheriff’s Office said search teams spent hours trying to pick up a signal from the device using Project Lifesaver equipment on the ground and from a Charleston County Sheriff’s Office helicopter.‌The operation continued through the night, with hundreds of residents checking properties and guarding nearby docks. Emergency teams searched surrounding waterways using helicopters, drones, police dogs and divers, with a US Coast Guard vessel also involved.WMBF News reported that volunteers walked pets around the area and even used an ice cream truck playing music in the hope Saylor might respond and come towards them.Among those who joined the overnight search was Crystal Cooper, who drove around 80 miles to help and stayed until after 2am.‌She told WMBF: “I just got so emotionally invested in it yesterday [Sunday] because this little girl needed us and my momma heart was in it.”She added: “You know, we felt if we left, we were giving up on her; we were leaving her, in a sense. I guess that’s the parent in us, you know.‌“So we would all be like ‘Oh we gotta go, we gotta go,’ and then we were here for like another hour, we’re standing here still.”Ronald Gagliardi was another local who joined the search, returning on Monday morning after helping through the night. By then, Saylor had been found.He said: “Decided to come in this morning to continue the search, although they found her now, which is, you know, it’s devastating, but it’s at least a positive thing for the family that, you know, she was recovered.”‌Cooper said the discovery had left those involved devastated. “It was really sad. I mean, I’m emotional now,” she said.“It’s just – it’s just heartbreaking, like really heartbreaking.”‌The Georgetown County Sheriff’s Office thanked the hundreds of residents and emergency agencies involved. It said: “Hundreds of residents from the area searched their own properties and surrounding areas and guarded local docks.“The Georgetown County Sheriff’s Office thanks everyone who assisted in the search and sends its deepest condolences to the young girl’s family.”Flowers have since reportedly been left near the boat landing where search teams had been stationed.Article continues belowAuthorities have not yet released Saylor’s cause of death.