NJ Grandfather Stephen Schneider Arrested In Fatal Boat Crash That Killed 2 Children

BERKELEY TOWNSHIP, NJ. (THECOUNT) — Stephen Schneider, 64, of Berkeley Township, New Jersey, was arrested Friday and charged with two counts of reckless vessel homicide after authorities alleged he was impaired by alcohol when his boat struck a channel marker in Barnegat Bay, killing his two grandchildren.

The July 19 nighttime crash claimed the lives of siblings Mya Bella Golabek, 9, and Sigmund Paul Golabek, 7, both of Lacey Township, according to authorities and court records.

Schneider’s charges allege that his ability to operate the vessel was impaired by alcohol when the collision occurred.

According to charging documents, Schneider was operating a 30-foot Tidewater 280 shortly after 9 p.m. when the vessel struck a wooden channel marker in the waters off Berkeley Township in Ocean County.

The force of the collision sent both children into the water.

Schneider and his wife, also 64, entered the water and pulled the children from the bay following the crash. Despite efforts to rescue them, both Mya and Sigmund were transported to a local hospital, where they were later pronounced dead.

The siblings’ deaths turned a family boating trip into a devastating tragedy and prompted an investigation by New Jersey authorities.

Prosecutors allege alcohol impairment played a role in the crash. The reckless vessel homicide charges accuse Schneider of operating the boat in a manner that resulted in the deaths of the two children.

The case remains an allegation, and Schneider is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.

The crash occurred in Barnegat Bay, a large coastal estuary along New Jersey’s Ocean County shoreline that is heavily used for recreational boating, particularly during the summer months.

Boating accidents involving channel markers can be especially dangerous at night, when visibility is reduced and navigational markers can be difficult to see. Investigators have not publicly released a complete account of what led Schneider’s vessel to strike the marker.

The charging documents provide the allegations underlying the criminal case, while the broader investigation into the collision remains ongoing.

Authorities have not indicated whether additional charges are expected.

Information about an attorney representing Schneider was not immediately available. New Jersey State Police and the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office had not released additional details concerning the case beyond the charges reported in court records.

The deaths of Mya and Sigmund mark a particularly tragic outcome in a crash that authorities allege could have been prevented.

Schneider will face the two vessel homicide counts as the criminal case proceeds through the Ocean County court system.

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