A harrowing 911 call reveals the full picture of the overnight search for a loved one after a boat struck a channel marker—Stephen Schneider, in a state of panic, inadvertently let slip a telling detail
Newly released 911 audio has provided a stark, minute-by-minute account of the chaos that unfolded on Barnegat Bay on the evening of July 19, 2026, after a recreational boat struck an illuminated channel marker and threw two young children into the water.
Stephen Schneider, 64, of Bayville, was at the helm of his 28-foot Tidewater Custom 280 center-console vessel. Aboard with him were his wife, Laurie Schneider, also 64, and their grandchildren — 9-year-old Mya Bella Golabek and 7-year-old Sigmund Paul Golabek, both of Lacey Township. The family had just finished dinner at MJ’s Restaurant Bar and Grill in Berkeley. The children, wearing life jackets and seated in the forward section of the boat, were heading back toward the Schneiders’ nearby home.
Shortly after 9 p.m., traveling at approximately 20 mph, the boat struck Intracoastal Waterway channel marker No. 39, a single-stanchion illuminated navigational aid. Schneider later told investigators he saw the marker only at the last second, despite having both radar and a low-light night-navigation camera activated. The impact ejected both children into the dark waters of the bay.
In the frantic 911 call that followed, Laurie Schneider can be heard describing the immediate aftermath. She told the dispatcher that one child was already back on the boat while her husband was in the water searching for the other. When asked whether the children were unconscious, she replied affirmatively. She repeatedly tried to pinpoint their location near the channel marker as darkness complicated the rescue.
Schneider recovered both children — first his grandson, then his granddaughter. Both were found face-down and unresponsive. CPR was begun at once. Emergency responders from the New Jersey State Police Marine Bureau and the U.S. Coast Guard arrived after the 9:09 p.m. call. The children were brought to shore and transported to Community Medical Center in Toms River, where they were later pronounced dead.
Investigators determined that Schneider’s blood-alcohol content was approximately 0.16 percent — twice New Jersey’s legal limit of 0.08 percent. He told authorities he had consumed two Guinness beers and one Miller Lite in the two hours before the crash. A subsequent toxicology assessment concluded that his alertness, judgment, and response time were markedly impaired by alcohol. Authorities confirmed the channel marker’s lights were functioning properly at the time of the collision.
On August 14, Schneider was charged with two counts of reckless vessel homicide, operating a vessel under the influence, and reckless operation of a vessel. He was released from custody on August 19 pending trial after a detention hearing. The children’s parents submitted letters supporting his release, and he has no prior criminal record. Conditions of release include a temporary prohibition on operating boats or motor vehicles pending further court evaluation.
The released 911 recording has given both investigators and the public a clearer picture of the desperate efforts made in the critical minutes after impact. It underscores the hazards of nighttime navigation on busy waterways and the severe consequences that can follow when alcohol impairs judgment behind the helm. The case remains active as legal proceedings continue.
