They Were Best Friends Who Did Everything Together”: Heartbroken Mother Mourns Only Children Killed by Her Father in Barnegat Bay Boat Crash
How does a parent survive the harrowing reality of losing her entire world in a single, senseless second? For Jennifer Golabek, an ordinary summer evening along the Jersey Shore transformed into an unthinkable nightmare when her two children—9-year-old Mya Bella and her 7-year-old brother, Sigmund “Siggy” Golabek—were killed in a catastrophic nighttime boating accident. The tragedy cuts even deeper because the person at the helm of the vessel was none other than Jennifer’s own father, 64-year-old affluent millionaire Stephen Schneider. Operating a powerful 30-foot center-console speedboat while allegedly heavily intoxicated on Barnegat Bay, Schneider crashed straight into a wooden channel marker, wiping out Jennifer’s entire immediate family and leaving a grieving community in a state of profound shock and outrage.
In life, Mya and Siggy were inseparable best friends who did everything together, sharing infectious laughter, athletic pursuits, creative drawing sessions, and a deep affection for their family pets, Tequila and Captain. Their joyful spirits brought immense light to everyone around them, defining their household with warmth and boundless energy. Tragically, that light was extinguished when Schneider took the watercraft out after dark following a family dinner at MJ’s Restaurant Bar and Grill. Cruising through pitch-black coastal channels without proper visibility or caution, the impaired grandfather slammed the boat head-on into the marker, hurling both children violently into the freezing water.
The violent impact rendered the young siblings unconscious, launching a frantic and desperate rescue attempt as Schneider and his wife pulled the battered, unresponsive bodies back onto the deck. Rushing to a nearby marina, first responders, firefighters, and advanced life support paramedics flooded the docks, cutting away life jackets and performing continuous, frantic chest compressions on the pavement. Despite round-the-clock dockside interventions and emergency transport under blue lights to a regional trauma center, both children were pronounced dead shortly after arrival, leaving their devastated parents, Jennifer and Sigmund Sr., forced to face an agonizing reality where both of their children are gone forever.
In a heartbreaking joint obituary that has moved thousands across the state, the family honored the unbreakable bond between the young siblings, writing a tear-jerking tribute that captured the hearts of a grieving community. The family shared how the young best friends continue their journey together, “hand in hand, carrying their love beyond this world.” The poignant words serve as a testament to the profound connection Mya and Siggy shared, offering a small measure of comfort amid a tragedy that wiped out an entire generation of the family.
The legal and societal fallout from the crash has been swift and merciless. Law enforcement officials apprehended Schneider following his voluntary surrender at the Berkeley Township Police Department, lodging him directly into the Ocean County Jail with zero bond. Ocean County prosecutors unsealed comprehensive charging documents accusing him of multiple counts of second-degree vehicular homicide, manslaughter, and boating under the influence. Investigators focusing on maritime telemetry, GPS speed logs, and toxicological blood-draw reports have built a robust evidentiary foundation to establish clear impairment at the time of the crash, ensuring that the defendant faces the full weight of the judicial system.
The double fatality has ignited a fierce national conversation regarding maritime safety, the lethal dangers of operating watercraft under the influence of alcohol, and the profound legal responsibilities entrusted to family members on public waterways. Local marinas and community spaces have been transformed into solemn memorial sites adorned with flowers, candles, and children’s toys as residents rally around the grieving parents. For a community demanding absolute accountability, Schneider’s detention represents an essential step toward justice as the legal system prepares for formal courtroom arguments in the Ocean County Superior Court.
Ultimately, the Barnegat Bay boat crash stands as one of the most heartbreaking and entirely preventable domestic tragedies in recent New Jersey history. The stark contrast between a pleasant summer dinner and a cold jail cell behind bars underscores the devastating human cost of recklessness. As Jennifer and Sigmund Sr. navigate an unimaginable period of mourning, the memory of Mya and Siggy remains a poignant, permanent reminder of the fragile boundaries of safety, ensuring that the legacy of the two inseparable best friends will never be forgotten.
