“ONLY THREE BEERS”: GRANDPA’S ACCOUNT COLLIDES WITH 0.16 BAC AFTER BOAT CRASH KILLED TWO GRANDCHILDREN
A family dinner on New Jersey’s Barnegat Bay ended in a devastating tragedy when a 28-foot boat carrying 64-year-old Stephen Schneider and his two young grandchildren slammed into a channel marker, throwing the children into the water and ultimately claiming both of their lives. Prosecutors now allege Schneider was operating the vessel while intoxicated, with a blood alcohol concentration of approximately 0.16 — twice New Jersey’s legal limit of 0.08 for operating a vessel. The crash happened around 9 p.m. on July 19 in the waters off Berkeley Township after Schneider and his wife had dinner with their daughter, son-in-law and grandchildren at a restaurant in Bayville. The children, 9-year-old Mya Bella Golabek and 7-year-old Sigmund Paul Golabek, had arrived at the restaurant with their parents on a separate boat and were planning to return with their grandparents. Instead, the short trip home became a fatal accident.
According to court documents cited by multiple news outlets, Schneider told investigators that he had consumed three beers during the family dinner over approximately two hours. His account was reportedly specific: two Guinness beers and one Miller Lite. He then took the helm of his Tidewater Custom 280 center-console boat with the two children aboard. The children were reportedly seated toward the front of the vessel and were wearing life jackets. Schneider allegedly told police that he was traveling at roughly 20 mph when he saw the channel marker only at the last moment. The boat struck the navigational marker, ejecting both children into the bay. Their parents were not aboard Schneider’s vessel at the moment of impact.
The subsequent toxicology result has become one of the most significant elements of the prosecution’s case. Prosecutors say Schneider’s blood alcohol concentration was approximately 0.16, a level twice the legal limit for operating a boat in New Jersey. The blood sample was taken after the crash, and authorities have used the result to support allegations that Schneider was operating the vessel while impaired. The contrast between his reported consumption of three beers and the laboratory result has raised obvious questions for investigators and prosecutors, although the precise relationship between the timing of the drinks, the crash and the blood test will ultimately be addressed through the evidence presented in court. Schneider has been charged with two counts of reckless vessel homicide, operating a vessel under the influence and reckless operation of a vessel. He remains presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
The crash itself triggered a frantic rescue effort. Mya and Sigmund were thrown into the dark waters after the boat struck the channel marker, despite both children reportedly wearing life jackets. Emergency responders and family members searched for them after the collision, with newly released 911 recordings capturing the desperate aftermath. The children’s grandmother, Laurie Schneider, contacted emergency services and described the chaotic situation as family members tried to locate the children in the water. Schneider himself entered the water during the search, according to reports. Despite the rescue effort, both children died. Their deaths have left the family confronting an unimaginable loss while the criminal investigation continues. The tragedy has also drawn renewed attention to boating safety in Barnegat Bay, where authorities say several serious boating accidents have occurred during the 2026 summer season.
Investigators have also examined the channel marker involved in the crash. According to authorities, the marker was illuminated at the time of the collision, a detail that could become important as prosecutors reconstruct what happened immediately before impact. Schneider allegedly told investigators that he saw the marker too late to avoid it. His defense has indicated that the precise circumstances of the collision remain subject to investigation and has raised questions about the visibility of the navigational marker. Authorities, however, have said the lights on the marker were functioning properly. Investigators will consider Schneider’s speed, visibility, navigation, alcohol level, weather and water conditions, as well as the boat’s condition and route. Determining exactly why the vessel struck the marker will be critical to the criminal case.
Despite the seriousness of the charges, Schneider was released from custody following a court hearing in August. Prosecutors had argued that his reported 0.16 BAC and the deaths of his two grandchildren warranted continued detention. The judge instead granted conditional release, citing factors that included Schneider’s lack of a criminal history and the family’s position. The children’s parents reportedly submitted letters asking for Schneider to be released, describing him as a loving grandfather. As part of his release conditions, Schneider is prohibited from operating a boat or motor vehicle while he undergoes a court-ordered evaluation. His attorney also told the court that Schneider would never operate a boat again and would never drink alcohol again. His next court appearance is scheduled for September 15.
The case now centers on a painful collision between one family’s ordinary summer evening and the devastating consequences that followed. Mya and Sigmund had spent the evening with their parents and grandparents before boarding Schneider’s boat for what was supposed to be a short ride home. Within minutes, the journey ended with both children in the water and their family facing an irreversible loss. Prosecutors will now attempt to establish whether Schneider’s alleged impairment and the decisions he made while operating the vessel directly contributed to the children’s deaths. His reported claim that he drank three beers over two hours will be examined alongside the 0.16 BAC result, witness accounts, emergency recordings and the physical evidence from the boat and channel marker. For the family, however, the legal arguments cannot change the central fact of the tragedy: two young siblings who left dinner expecting to arrive safely home never made it back.
