Sunburned,dehydrated baby left on beach

WALKER, Mich. (WOOD) - A 34-year-old woman who left a 7-month-old she was babysitting strapped in a car seat on a hot beach while she swam is being sought by the Kent County Sheriff's Department.

Tuesday afternoon, someone on the beach at Millennium Park became concerned about the baby and alerted a deputy on beach patrol.

When the deputy tried to find out to whom the child belonged, a woman, who was originally about 70 feet away in the water, came forward.

But she didn't stick around.

She told deputies she knew the child's mom, by first name only, and left, leaving the baby behind.

"Obviously, there are some concerns as to why the person just took off like that. They obviously knew the situation was not good," Undersheriff Jon Hess told 24 Hour News 8.

The baby was treated for dehydration and placed back in the care of its mother, who told detectives she'd left the child in the care of several friends while she worked.

Pediatricians at Helen DeVos Children's Hospital say no child that age should be left unattended for any amount of time in the sun. Dehydration and sunburn can set in 15 minutes or less.

Detectives are trying to find the baby-sitter, who could face a number of neglect-related charges.

State Child Protective Services is also investigating.