FROM DINNER TO DEVASTATION: TIMELINE EMERGES BEFORE FATAL BARNEGAT BAY BOAT CRASH

BARNEGAT BAY, NEW JERSEY — What began as a family dinner ended in an unimaginable tragedy after a nighttime boat ride turned deadly, leaving two young siblings dead and their grandfather facing serious criminal charges.

According to reports, 64-year-old Stephen Schneider and his family had been at MJ’s Restaurant Bar & Grill before heading out onto Barnegat Bay aboard his 30-foot boat.

A NIGHT ON THE WATER TAKES A TRAGIC TURN

The family later set out by boat in the darkness.

Authorities allege Schneider was impaired while operating the vessel when the boat struck a channel marker.

The impact sent his two grandchildren, 9-year-old Mya Golabek and 7-year-old Sigmund “Siggy” Golabek, into the water.

Both children were wearing life jackets, according to reports.

Family members and emergency responders rushed to get them out of the bay and begin lifesaving efforts.

Sadly, neither child survived.

 GRANDTATHER FACES SERIOUS CHARGES

Schneider subsequently surrendered to authorities and was taken into custody at the Ocean County Jail.

Prosecutors have charged him in connection with the children’s deaths, including vessel-homicide-related offenses and allegations involving boating under the influence.

The case now moves into the court system, where prosecutors will have to prove their allegations.

Schneider is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

TWO CHILDREN LOST

Mya and Siggy were siblings who shared a close bond.

Their deaths have left their mother, Jennifer Golabek, and the rest of their family facing an unimaginable loss.

A family evening that began with dinner ended with two children being pulled from the dark waters of Barnegat Bay.

THE TIMELINE RAISES A PAINFUL QUESTION

How did a family dinner turn into a nighttime boating trip that ended with two children’s lives being lost?

Investigators will now examine the events leading up to the crash, including the boat’s operation, the circumstances surrounding the alleged impairment and exactly what happened in the moments before the vessel struck the marker.

For Mya and Siggy’s family, however, the legal questions come after something that can never be undone.

Two children went out on the water that night. They never came home.

The allegations against Schneider have not been proven in court. Details of the timeline and charges should be understood in the context of the ongoing criminal case