South Carolina magistrate denies bond for parents charged in child's drowning

Georgetown County Magistrate Steven Pop denied bond on Saturday for John Hayes III, 71, and Geordyn Hayes, 31, who are charged with unlawfully placing a child at risk and willfully abandoning a child following the drowning death of their 5-year-old daughter, Saylor Hayes. The family was on vacation on Pawleys Island, South Carolina, when Saylor, who was non-verbal and autistic, wandered away and was later recovered dead in a waterway after a two-day search.

The parents were arrested in Tennessee and extradited to South Carolina. During the hearing, John Hayes’s attorney argued the couple had endured a “horrific” experience and requested bail.

"They want to fight these charges," attorney Jonny McCoy said.

Magistrate Pop responded that he would not grant release, stating there was “no way on this earth” he would issue a personal recognizance bond.

An autopsy released Friday indicated Saylor died of injuries consistent with drowning, specifically pulmonary edema. The coroner’s office noted she was found wearing a bathing suit with a strap attached to her ankle, resembling a wrist tether, and was not wearing a Project Lifesaver transmitter that she was supposed to have. An official cause of death has not yet been determined.