A New Jersey grandfather with twice the legal alcohol limit crashed his boat into a channel marker in Barnegat Bay, killing his two young grandchildren and prompting a desperate 911 call from his wife. Stephen Schneider, 64, now faces homicide charges after the July 19 collision that claimed the lives of Mya Bella Golabek, 9, and her brother Sigmund Paul Golabek, 7.

Frantic 911 Call Captures Tragedy

Newly released audio reveals the chaotic moments after the crash as Laurie Schneider, 64, called for help from the damaged vessel. “We have one on the boat and my husband’s in the water trying to get the other child out,” she told dispatchers. When asked if the children were unconscious, the grandmother frantically replied, “Yes, yes they are!” The collision occurred around 9 p.m. off Berkeley Township when the 28-foot boat struck a wooden channel marker, throwing both children into the dark water.

The grandparents pulled both children from the bay and attempted CPR before emergency responders arrived. Both Mya and Sigmund were rushed to a local hospital but died from their injuries. Prosecutors determined Stephen Schneider had a blood alcohol content of 0.16, exactly double New Jersey’s legal limit of 0.08 for operating a vessel.

Family Dinner Preceded Fatal Crash

Schneider told investigators he consumed three beers over two hours during a family dinner that included his wife, daughter, son-in-law, and the two grandchildren. After the meal, the family boarded the boat for what should have been a routine evening on the water. The grandfather voluntarily surrendered to Berkeley Township Police Department in Ocean County, where he was charged with two counts of reckless vessel homicide, operating a vessel under the influence, and reckless operation of a vessel.

Father Pleads For Release

In an unexpected twist, the children’s father—Schneider’s son-in-law—asked a judge last week to release the grandfather from jail. “He’s been there for our family in ways that words cannot fully express. Our family is better because of him,” the father wrote in a letter read by Schneider’s attorney during the court hearing. The judge granted the request, allowing Schneider to leave custody. The father described Schneider as “a wonderful father-in-law, a loving grandfather and a man with a generous heart” despite the charges he faces for the deaths of his own children.