Drunken parents who passed out on Florida beach face child neglect charges, cops say

A vacationing Georgia couple ended up in jail after too many drinks on the beach left them incapable of keeping up with two children, ages 5 and 7, Florida investigators say.

It happened Saturday, March 16, at Daytona Beach and concerns were such that a Volusia County deputy checked for a pulse when the couple couldn’t be roused, according to an arrest affidavit. Daytona Beach is about a 55-mile drive northeast from Orlando.

A 911 caller alerted authorities, reporting two adults had passed out from having “too much to drink” and their kids had vanished, the report states.

When deputies arrived, they found an unconscious man and woman surrounded by empty alcohol containers and children’s toys, officials said.

“Deputies attempted to wake up (the man) by talking to him, which was unsuccessful,” the report states.

“Deputies further nudged his arm multiple times, but he remained asleep. (He) was breathing and did have a pulse. Finally, deputies began to yell.”

The couple then woke up “in a state of confusion,” officials said.

Deputies asked multiple times if they had children and learned there were two ... somewhere.

“When (the man) was asked where the children were, he gestured to the ocean and turned back to face deputies. He did not point out specific children, nor did he attempt to locate the children further,” officials said.

The couple, who live northeast of Atlanta, eventually said they weren’t sure where the children were, leading to a search.

Deputies found the children, a boy and girl, at the Nautilus Inn pool, where they were swimming without supervision, officials said.

The couple, both age 27, was arrested on charges of child neglect, officials said. The man, who is not the biological father of the two children, faces additional charges of having alcohol on a Volusia County beach and attempting to escape, the sheriff’s office said.

He was recorded running from deputies during questioning, but tripped and passed out after hitting the ground, resulting in an ambulance being called, officials said.

The children were taken to a family resource center and held until a relative arrived in Daytona Beach to take them back to Georgia, officials said.

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