A prominent figure in Texas healthcare, recently recognized on a national “40 Under 40” list, has been detained alongside her husband following an incident where they left their six-month-old infant alone on a Florida beach, authorities reported.

The Walton County Sheriff’s Office stated that deputies responded to a call at Miramar Beach around midday on October 10. Concerned beachgoers had discovered a baby left unattended under a tent in the vicinity of 4000 Sandestin Boulevard.

Eyewitnesses informed deputies that the child had been left alone for close to an hour while the parents strolled down the beach with their three other children. This prompted other beach visitors to alert local law enforcement.

Sara Sommers Wilks faces charges of child neglect after authorities discovered her baby had been left unattended on a Florida beach for nearly an hour, according to the Walton County Sheriff’s Office.

A statement posted on the Walton County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page indicated that upon the deputies’ arrival, personnel from the South Walton Fire District evaluated the baby and determined she was not experiencing any distress.

Shortly afterward, Sara Sommers Wilks, 37, and Brian Wilks, 40, of Houston, Texas returned to the scene. 

The couple reportedly admitted to placing their child under the tent for a nap before leaving. The Facebook press release said they claimed they had lost track of time.

Security footage reviewed by investigators also confirmed the pair had been gone for nearly an hour and had left their cell phones behind with the baby.

Both were arrested and charged with child neglect without great bodily harm, a third-degree felony under Florida law. 

Brian Wilks faces felony child neglect charges with his wife after abandoning their child on a Florida beach for an hour. (Walton County’s Sheriff’s Office)

They were booked into the Walton County Jail and released the following day on a $1,000 bond each.

The Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) took custody of the couple’s four children until relatives from Texas could arrive to collect them. 

Sommers Wilks serves as the Regional President for Southeast Texas at US Heart and Vascular, a healthcare group that supports cardiovascular practices in Texas, Alabama, and Arizona. 

Earlier this year, she was featured in Cardiovascular Business magazine’s “Forty Under 40” list, which recognized her as an innovative and influential leader in cardiology administration.

Sara Sommers Wilks, a healthcare executive honored on a ’40 Under 40′ list, was arrested with her husband for leaving their baby alone on a Florida beach.

In their Facebook statement, the Walton County Sheriff’s Office reiterated its commitment to child safety and expressed gratitude to those who intervened on the beach.

“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,” said Sheriff Michael Adkinson in the post.

Fox News Digital has reached out to Walton County Sheriff’s Office for further comment.