A healthcare company’s regional president and her husband have been accused of abandoning their 6-month-old daughter in a tent on the beach during her nap time, while the rest of the family went on a long walk along the shore on Friday afternoon.

Sara Sommers Wilks, 37, and her husband, Brian Wilks, 40, were both arrested shortly after police responded to reports of an abandoned baby at Florida’s Miramar Beach around noon on Friday. According to the Walton County Sheriff’s Office, the couple told officers they had “lost track of time” while walking with their three older children.

Authorities noted that the couple was gone for nearly an hour. “It’s right there at that hour time frame, 50 minutes to an hour, way longer than what would be reasonable,” Major Dustin Cosson of the Walton County Sheriff’s Office told ABC 13.

A good Samaritan found the infant and was caring for her inside the nearby Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort and Spa when authorities arrived. Meanwhile, the parents were unaware of the situation and were unreachable, having left their cellphones with the baby, the sheriff’s office confirmed.

“We’re thankful for the quick-thinking beachgoer who raised the alarm and for those who stepped in to care for the child with the same kindness and concern they would show their own,” Sheriff Michael Adkinson said.

Authorities reported that the baby’s vitals were normal and she showed no signs of distress. She and her three older siblings were placed into the custody of the Florida Department of Children and Families until other family members could pick them up.

The parents were taken into custody soon after and charged with child neglect without great bodily harm, a third-degree felony under Florida law.

Major Cosson expressed his concern over the parents’ disregard for the many ways infants can accidentally harm themselves, even while napping. “That’s all fine and dandy, but you don’t just leave a baby at a house and then leave and go off to the store. The baby could roll over and suffocate itself, or the wind could blow a towel over its face. There’s no telling what could have happened,” he told ABC 13.

Sara and Brian Wilks were both released on a $1,000 bond on Saturday, according to police.

Sara Sommers Wilks has a notable business career and currently serves as the regional president for Southeast Texas at US Heart and Vascular, a company that provides support services for independent cardiovascular practices in Arizona, Alabama, and Texas.
https://nypost.com/2025/10/19/us-news/healthcare-exec-husband-charged-after-allegedly-leaving-sleeping-6-month-old-daughter-alone-at-beach/