A Texas couple arrested for leaving their six-month-old baby alone on a Florida beach say they had “lost track of time”.

Sara and Brian Wilks, 37 and 40 respectively, in October last year left their daughter unattended for nearly an hour at Miramar Beach before officers arrived to find the baby in the care of strangers, according to the Daily Mail.

Sara, an award-winning health executive, and Brian said they put the baby under a tent for a nap and then went on a walk with their three other kids, the outlet said.

Major Dustin Cosson with the Walton County Sheriff’s Office, at the time of the arrest, described the couple’s explanation as “concerning”.

“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,” he reportedly said.

“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.”

The pair admitted to leaving their baby alone and were charged with child neglect without great bodily harm.

The couple avoided jail time after entering into a deferred prosecution agreement last month but they have been ordered to pay USD$1000 in fines, work 25 hours of community service and attend a parenting class within 12 months.