NIGHTMARE IN BARNEGAT BAY: FRENETIC 911 CALL CAPTURES TERROR AFTER BOAT CRASHES INTO CHANNEL MARKER

A joyful family outing turned into a night of sheer horror off Berkeley Township when a 28-foot boat slammed directly into a wooden channel marker around 9 p.m. on July 19 in Barnegat Bay.

The vessel was being operated by 64-year-old Stephen Schneider when the violent collision occurred in the darkness. The terrifying aftermath was captured in a harrowing emergency dispatch call that reveals the absolute chaos onboard in the seconds following the crash.

Over the line, 64-year-old grandmother Laurie Schneider screams frantically, desperately trying to convey their situation to the operator. When the dispatcher asks whether her young grandchildren are still breathing, she confirms through panic, “Yes, yes they are!”

While Laurie communicates with emergency responders, her husband Stephen dives directly into the pitch-black water, searching desperately for their two young grandchildren, 9-year-old Mya Bella and 7-year-old Sigmund. First responders rushed to the scene following the frantic call to assist the trapped family and secure the heavily damaged vessel in the dark waters.