A devastating boating tragedy in New Jersey has taken a new and painful turn after authorities charged a 64-year-old grandfather in connection with the deaths of his two young grandchildren, who were thrown into the water when the family’s boat struck a channel marker in Barnegat Bay last month.

Stephen Schneider, of Berkeley Township, was arrested Friday after investigators alleged that alcohol had impaired his ability to operate the 30-foot boat during the July 19 crash. He is facing two counts of reckless vessel homicide, a second-degree offense, along with charges related to operating a vessel while under the influence of alcohol and reckless operation of a vessel. The charges represent a major development in the investigation, which began as a heartbreaking boating accident involving a family spending time together at the Jersey Shore.

The children who died were siblings Mya Bella Golabek, 9, and her younger brother, Sigmund Paul Golabek, 7. Both children were from Lacey Township and had been spending the evening on the boat with their grandparents when the crash occurred.

According to investigators and previously reported accounts, the vessel was traveling through the waters off Berkeley Township at approximately 9 p.m. on July 19 when it struck a wooden channel marker in the bay. The force of the collision caused the two children to be thrown from the boat and into the dark water.

Schneider and his wife immediately searched for the children after the impact and were able to pull them from the water. Emergency responders rushed to the scene and attempted to save the children before they were transported to a nearby hospital. Despite those efforts, both Mya and Sigmund died.

The initial investigation focused on determining how the collision happened and whether any factors contributed to the crash. At the time, authorities said the channel marker was illuminated and functioning properly. That detail became significant because investigators were examining whether the collision could have been caused by conditions on the water, operator error or another factor.

The investigation has now produced an allegation that alcohol played a role.

According to charging documents, authorities allege that Schneider was impaired by alcohol while operating the boat. Police have not publicly released a blood-alcohol concentration from the night of the crash, and the allegation of impairment remains part of the criminal case rather than a finding of guilt.

Schneider voluntarily surrendered to authorities at the Berkeley Township Police Department, according to New Jersey State Police. He was subsequently taken into custody and lodged in the Ocean County Jail while awaiting a future court proceeding.

The new charges have added another layer of grief to a case that had already devastated two families. Mya and Sigmund were not simply siblings, according to descriptions shared after their deaths. They were remembered as extremely close and as children who shared many of the same interests and family experiences.

Their obituaries described them as best friends who enjoyed spending time together and creating memories with their relatives. Mya was remembered as an artist and athlete who enjoyed sports, swimming, drawing and crafts. Sigmund was also pᴀssionate about sports, particularly baseball and basketball, and enjoyed swimming and spending time with family and friends.

The children also loved their dogs, Tequila and Captain, adding another personal detail to the memories their family has shared following their deaths.

The tragedy unfolded quickly that Sunday evening. After the boat struck the channel marker, the children were suddenly in the water. A local official who witnessed part of the emergency response recalled seeing firefighters immediately enter the water and attempt to help. One of the children was reportedly wearing a life jacket, which responders removed while performing CPR.

The rescue effort was ultimately unsuccessful.

For the family and the local community, the deaths have left a profound sense of loss. What had begun as a family outing on the Jersey Shore ended with two children ᴅᴇᴀᴅ and a grandfather facing serious criminal charges.

The case has also raised renewed questions about boating safety and the consequences of operating a vessel after consuming alcohol. Unlike driving a car, boating can involve darkness, changing water conditions, currents, navigation markers and other hazards that require constant attention from the person at the helm. Investigators will now have to determine precisely how Schneider’s alleged impairment affected the operation of the vessel and whether it contributed directly to the collision.

The criminal charges do not mean Schneider has been found responsible in the legal sense. Under the law, he remains presumed innocent unless prosecutors prove the allegations beyond a reasonable doubt in court.

The two reckless vessel homicide charges are particularly serious. Prosecutors will have to establish the elements required under New Jersey law, including the circumstances surrounding the operation of the boat and the deaths of the two children. Evidence gathered during the investigation is expected to play a central role in determining how the case proceeds.

The July crash initially attracted attention because of the age of the victims and the fact that they were traveling with their grandparents. The subsequent arrest has brought the tragedy back into the spotlight and has intensified attention on the circumstances immediately preceding the collision.

Officials have not suggested that the children were responsible in any way for what happened. Their presence on the boat was part of what their family believed would be an ordinary summer outing. Instead, the evening ended with a frantic search in the water and an emergency response that could not save them.

The loss has been especially painful because Mya and Sigmund were siblings who shared the same family and many of the same childhood experiences. Their family has described a bond that extended beyond being brother and sister, remembering them as best friends who enjoyed adventures together and were rarely far apart.

Their deaths have also affected the wider Berkeley Township community. Local officials and residents have expressed sympathy for the family, while first responders who participated in the rescue have been left with the memory of a devastating emergency involving two children.

The criminal investigation is now moving into its next stage. Prosecutors will have to present evidence supporting the charges, while Schneider’s defense will have an opportunity to challenge the allegations and the evidence collected by investigators.

One of the central questions will be the extent to which alcohol allegedly affected Schneider’s ability to operate the vessel. Authorities have not publicly disclosed his exact blood-alcohol level, meaning the available public information does not establish the degree of impairment alleged by investigators.

Other details surrounding the crash, including the boat’s speed, visibility, navigation and the exact sequence of events immediately before the collision, may become important as the case moves forward.

The fact that the channel marker was reportedly functioning and illuminated may also be examined as investigators reconstruct the crash. Understanding where the boat was traveling, how it approached the marker and what Schneider could see at the time may help establish the circumstances that led to the collision.

For the children’s family, however, the legal process cannot undo what happened.

Mya was only nine years old. Sigmund was seven. Their lives were still at the very beginning, filled with school, sports, family activities, friendships and the ordinary experiences of childhood. Instead of watching them grow older together, their relatives are now left remembering the children they were.

Their family has described the siblings’ relationship as something that will endure beyond their deaths, emphasizing how closely connected they were during their short lives.

The case also serves as a painful reminder that a decision made on the water can have consequences far beyond the person operating a boat. A moment of impaired judgment can affect everyone aboard, including pᴀssengers who have no control over the vessel or the decisions of the person at the helm.

As Schneider’s case proceeds through the courts, investigators and prosecutors will continue examining the evidence from the July 19 crash. The allegations against him remain allegations until tested in court, and the legal process will determine whether the evidence supports the charges.

But for the families of Mya and Sigmund, the most important facts are already permanent.

Two young siblings went out on a summer evening with their grandparents. A boat struck a channel marker in Barnegat Bay. The children were thrown into the water. Their grandparents and first responders attempted to rescue them, but both children died at the hospital.

Now, weeks later, their grandfather has been charged in connection with their deaths.

The investigation will determine what happened in the moments before the collision and whether alcohol impairment was a decisive factor. The court proceedings will determine criminal responsibility.

For everyone who knew Mya and Sigmund, however, the tragedy is measured not by the charges but by the two young lives that were lost.

The siblings will be remembered for the bond they shared, the activities they loved and the memories they created with their family. Their final boat trip was supposed to be another summer memory. Instead, it became a tragedy that their loved ones and the Jersey Shore community will carry for years to come.

Source: https://nypost.com/2026/08/14/us-news/grandfather-in-fatal-jersey-shore-boat-crash-that-killed-his-two-grandkids-was-impaired-by-alcohol-charged-with-homicide/