Hyatt and his girlfriend, Kami Vollendroff, were last seen at Boiler Bay State Park in Depoe Bay, Oregon on November 21, 2001. They were staying in an oceanfront condominium with Hyatt's grandparents. At 10:00 a.m. they left the condominium, telling Hyatt's grandparents that they planned to look at the tide pools during the day. Neither Vollendroff nor Hyatt has been heard from again.

Authorities believe the couple was swept out to sea and drowned; a storm hit the area at around the time they vanished and it is thought that they were dragged into the water by a powerful wave. One of Hyatt's shoes was discovered near Boiler Bay Cove several days after they vanished. The cove is a rocky inlet and is located less than one mile from the couple's last known location inside the park. Their bodies were never found, however.

Vollendroff and Hyatt resided in Stayton, Oregon in 2001.