“ONLY THREE BEERS”: STEPHEN SCHNEIDER’S ACCOUNT COLLIDES WITH 0.16 BAC AFTER FATAL BOAT CRASH

BARNEGAT BAY, N.J. — Stephen Schneider told investigators he had consumed only three beers during a family dinner before taking the helm of his boat.

But a blood-alcohol result reportedly came back at 0.16% — more than twice New Jersey’s legal limit for operating a vessel.

That stark contrast has become one of the most closely watched issues in the case against the 64-year-old grandfather, whose boat crashed into a channel marker and resulted in the deaths of his two young grandchildren.

A FAMILY DINNER TURNS TRAGIC

According to court records, Schneider spent the evening of July 19 with his wife, daughter, son-in-law and grandchildren.

The family had dinner at MJ’s Restaurant Bar & Grill in Bayville, before the children joined their grandparents aboard Schneider’s approximately 28-foot Tidewater Custom 280 for the trip home.

Schneider later told investigators that he had consumed three beers over roughly two hours during the dinner.

The family then headed out onto Barnegat Bay.

What should have been a short family boat ride quickly turned into a tragedy.

THE MOMENT EVERYTHING CHANGED

According to investigators, the boat was traveling at approximately 20 mph when it approached a channel marker.

Schneider reportedly said he saw the marker only at the last moment.

The vessel struck the marker, and the impact sent 9-year-old Mya Bella Golabek and 7-year-old Sigmund “Siggy” Paul Golabek into the water.

Both children were wearing life jackets.

The family immediately began searching through the darkness.

Schneider reportedly entered the water himself as relatives and emergency crews tried desperately to locate the children.

The youngsters were eventually recovered and taken to a hospital, where they were pronounced dead.

THEN THE TOXICOLOGY RESULT EMERGED

Investigators later obtained a blood sample from Schneider.

The reported result was 0.16% BAC.

New Jersey’s legal limit for operating a vessel is 0.08%.

That placed Schneider’s reported BAC at approximately twice the legal threshold.

And it immediately raised a critical question:

How could someone who said he drank only three beers over two hours test at 0.16%?

The discrepancy is expected to receive significant attention as the case moves through the courts.

THE NUMBER DOESN’T TELL THE WHOLE STORY

While the 0.16% result is potentially powerful evidence for prosecutors, the timing of the blood draw and the circumstances surrounding the testing can matter significantly.

A BAC measurement obtained after a crash does not automatically establish the person’s precise BAC at the exact second of impact.

Defense attorneys can challenge how the result was obtained, when the sample was collected, how it was stored and how the result should be interpreted.

Those questions could become central to Schneider’s defense.

THE DEFENSE IS LOOKING BEYOND ALCOHOL

Schneider’s attorneys are also examining the physical circumstances surrounding the collision.

A major focus is the channel marker that the boat struck.

The defense has questioned the marker’s visibility at night and what Schneider could reasonably have seen from the helm.

Investigators have reportedly said the marker’s lights were functioning.

That creates another potential courtroom battle.

Was Schneider’s alleged impairment the primary cause of the collision?

Or did nighttime visibility, navigation conditions and the position of the marker also contribute?

The defense appears prepared to argue that the answer may be more complicated than the prosecution’s version.

PROSECUTORS SEE A DIFFERENT PICTURE

For prosecutors, however, the 0.16% BAC could be a significant piece of evidence.

They allege Schneider was operating the boat while impaired and that his conduct contributed to the fatal collision.

He faces charges including two counts of reckless vessel homicide, as well as allegations involving operating a vessel under the influence and reckless operation.

The charges are allegations, and Schneider remains presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.

THE FAMILY CONNECTION MAKES THE CASE EVEN MORE PAINFUL

The tragedy has also created an extraordinarily difficult situation for the children’s family.

Schneider was not a stranger to the victims.

He was their grandfather.

According to reports, relatives have expressed conflicting emotions about the case, with some emphasizing Schneider’s role as a loved family member while prosecutors focus on the circumstances of the crash.

During a court hearing, the children’s father reportedly asked for Schneider to be released, describing him as an important part of the family.

A judge ultimately granted Schneider release while the case proceeds.

TWO CHILDREN WHO NEVER MADE IT HOME

Mya was 9 years old.

Sigmund was 7.

They were spending time with their grandparents when the boat ride ended in disaster.

Their deaths transformed what had been an ordinary family evening into a criminal investigation and a courtroom battle.

Now, nearly every detail of that night is being examined.

How much did Schneider drink?

When did he drink it?

What was his actual BAC when he took the helm?

How visible was the channel marker?

How fast was the boat traveling?

And could the collision have been avoided?

THE “THREE BEERS” CLAIM WILL BE TESTED IN COURT

Schneider’s statement that he consumed only three beers stands in stark contrast to the reported 0.16% BAC.

But whether that discrepancy proves anything beyond the existence of conflicting evidence will ultimately be a matter for the court.

The prosecution will likely point to the toxicology result as evidence of significant impairment.

The defense can challenge the reliability, timing and interpretation of that evidence — while also examining the environmental circumstances surrounding the crash.

Neither side has the final word yet.

A CASE BUILT AROUND ONE NIGHT — AND ONE DEVASTATING COLLISION

The tragedy on Barnegat Bay has left two children gone and a family permanently changed.

Now, the legal case is turning toward the evidence that could determine responsibility.

At its center is a number that is difficult to ignore:

0.16%.

But beside that number is Schneider’s own account:

“Three beers.”

Between those two statements lies a complicated set of questions about alcohol, timing, visibility and navigation.

And when the case reaches its next major stage, the court will have to determine which evidence tells the most accurate story of what happened on the water that night.