Cardiology leader, a ’40 under 40’ winner, arrested for leaving baby on beach
A Texas-based healthcare executive and her husband were arrested in Walton County, Florida, after leaving a six-month-old baby alone on a beach for nearly an hour.
Sara Sommers Wilks is a 37-year-old regional president with U.S. Heart and Vascular in Houston. In April, she was selected as part of the Cardiovascular Business Forty Under 40 Class of 2025, a list designed to highlight young leaders in cardiology, cardiac surgery and electrophysiology.
According to the Walton County Sheriff’s Office, Wilks and her husband, 40-year-old Brian Wilks, left the young child under a tent to nap on Oct. 10. They then “lost track of time,” and bystanders stepped in and cared for the child as soon as they realized what had happened. That is when law enforcement was called on to the scene.
The child was not harmed in any way, a complete medical evaluation confirmed.
The couple was ultimately arrested and charged with child neglect without great bodily harm. The child was left in the custody of the Florida Department of Children and Families until other family members could provide assistance. Both parents were released the following day, Oct. 11, on a $1,000 bond.
According to the Walton County Sheriff’s Office, this arrest is a reminder “even brief moments of inattention can have serious consequences and can sometimes lead to tragic outcomes.”
“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 A. Adkinson Jr. said.
Michael has more than 19 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.