Rock County authorities say a night out at a Milton bar turned into a criminal case after a Johnson Creek couple allegedly left their 4-month-old alone on a boat tied to the dock while they went inside for drinks. Bystanders and bar staff pulled the infant into Lakeview Bar and called law enforcement after noticing the baby sweating and turning red in the sun, according to a criminal complaint.
How deputies say the baby was found
A Rock County deputy was dispatched to Lakeview Bar after a group reported seeing an infant strapped in a car seat on a boat sitting in direct sunlight, the complaint states. As reported by WMTV, photos shown to deputies allegedly documented the baby’s face reddening before a staff member, described in the complaint as a nurse, carried the child inside for care.
Witness accounts and bar staff
Several witnesses told investigators the baby had been left alone on the boat without a life jacket and that one patron estimated the child might have been unattended for up to 45 minutes. According to the complaint, the infant appeared “very sweaty,” with wet hair matted to his head. The parents later came back to the dock and confronted the staff member who had taken the child inside, according to FOX5.
Parents' explanation
The complaint identifies the parents as Callie and Maxwell Reid of Johnson Creek. They reportedly told deputies the music inside was too loud and the baby needed a nap, so they left him in his car seat on the boat. The couple admitted the infant had been on the boat for about 30 minutes, acknowledged he did not have a life jacket and confirmed they had ordered drinks inside the bar. The complaint also notes that Callie declined a breathalyzer test while Maxwell agreed to one, as reported by WMTV.
Charges, bail and court orders
Online court records show both parents have been charged and each had bond set at $1,000. They posted bail and were released from the Rock County Jail. A judge ordered the couple to remain sober and prohibited them from having contact with their child unless Child Protective Services approves it, according to court records cited by FOX5.
Safety context
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources notes that every vessel must carry U.S. Coast Guard approved life jackets for each person aboard, and federal law requires children under 13 to wear an approved personal flotation device while underway on open vessels. Public health guidance also warns that infants can overheat quickly in direct sun, with symptoms such as sweating, flushed skin and lethargy, and that time spent unsupervised in a hot car seat can be especially dangerous. More information is available from the Wisconsin DNR and the EPA.
