A prominent healthcare executive and her husband are facing charges after allegedly leaving their six-month-old daughter alone on a beach for almost an hour.

Sara, 37, and Brian Wilks, 40, found themselves under arrest on October 10 following reports of an unattended baby on Florida’s Miramar Beach.

Upon arrival, police discovered that Good Samaritans at the Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort and Spa were looking after the infant.

As officers waited for medical responders to show up, the couple returned to the scene from their $970,000 Houston, Texas home and admitted to abandoning their child.

The couple reportedly confessed to placing their baby under a tent for a nap, then leaving with three other children for a walk, during which they “lost track of time,” authorities stated.

Sara, a regional president for US Heart and Vascular, and her husband, did not take their phones with them while they were away from their child, surveillance footage showed. 

The baby’s vitals were normal and she was not in distress, police said. 

The Florida Department of Children and Families immediately responded to the scene and their other children were placed in state custody until relatives from Texas could arrive. 

Sara, 37, and Brian Wilks, 40, were arrested after their six-month-old child was found alone on Miramar Beach

The infant was cared for by Good Samaritans while the couple went on a walk 

The Wilks were both charged with child neglect without great bodily harm. The couple posted a $1,000 bond the next day, according to court records obtained by the Daily Mail. 

Major Dustin Cosson with the Walton County Sheriff’s Office said the amount of time they left their child was ‘way longer than what would be reasonable.’ 

He said he understands that babies are on a napping schedule, but that does not mean parents should leave them alone when they do so. 

‘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,’ Cosson told ABC13. 

‘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 further emphasized that although beaches in the Sunshine State are family-friendly, parents still need to use common sense and remain vigilant. 

‘Yes, it’s a bubble, but that doesn’t mean as you cross over the county line or over the state line into Florida that we can just leave your common sense behind,’ he said. 

Sara is a regional president for US Heart and Vascular in Houston. She and her husband were both charged with child neglect without great bodily harm

Brian and Sara posted a $1,000 bond the next day. Their children were placed in state custody until relatives from Texas could arrive

The couple live in a $970,000 home in Houston Texas (pictured)

‘It still means you have to do the best for your children.’ 

Although deputies do not believe the Wilks’s acted maliciously, Cosson believes the option to leave their baby daughter alone should see them face criminal charges. 

Sara was named as part of Cardiovascular Business’s ‘Forty Under 40 Class of 2025’ in April. 

Sara, who appears to go by her maiden name Sommers professionally, holds an MBA and has ‘created a more cost-effective and streamlined experience for patients’ at US Heart and Vascular (USHV), according to Cardiovascular Business. 

The company is a national provider of support services for independent cardiovascular physician practices. 

Sara’s been described as someone who ‘not only improved the quality of care’ for patients, but made sure to do so in a timely manner, according to the outlet. 

The Daily Mail contacted US Heart and Vascular and the Wilks’ attorney for comment.