“WE HAVE ONE ON THE BOAT”: CHILLING 911 CALL REVEALS PANIC AFTER NEW JERSEY GRANDPA’S BOAT CRASH

BERKELEY TOWNSHIP, N.J. — A newly released 911 recording is giving a heartbreaking glimpse into the frantic moments after a New Jersey grandfather’s boat slammed into a channel marker, sending his two young grandchildren into the dark waters of Barnegat Bay.

On the call, the children’s grandmother, Laurie Schneider, can be heard desperately trying to explain the unfolding emergency to a dispatcher.

“We have one on the boat and my husband’s in the water trying to get the other child out,” she reportedly said.

When the dispatcher asked whether the children were unconscious, Laurie responded, “Yes, yes they are!”

The recording captures the confusion and desperation that followed the July 19 crash — a family outing that ended with the loss of 9-year-old Mya Bella Golabek and her 7-year-old brother, Sigmund Paul Golabek.

A FAMILY BOAT RIDE TURNS INTO CHAOS

According to court documents, 64-year-old Stephen Schneider was operating a 28-foot Tidewater Custom 280 when it struck an Intracoastal Waterway channel marker at about 9 p.m.

The two children were reportedly seated toward the front of the vessel and wearing life jackets.

The impact threw both children into the water.

As the family realized what had happened, Schneider reportedly entered the bay in an attempt to find one of the children while Laurie remained on the boat trying to communicate with emergency dispatchers.

The 911 call shows just how difficult it was for the family to determine their exact location in the darkness.

At one point, Laurie asked whether they were near channel marker 39, desperately trying to help rescuers locate them.

“MY HUSBAND’S IN THE WATER”

The most haunting portion of the call comes as Laurie attempts to explain that her husband is still searching the water.

The family was facing a nightmare in almost complete darkness, with one child reportedly on the boat and another believed to still be somewhere in the bay.

Emergency crews were dispatched to the scene.

The grandparents ultimately recovered both children and attempted CPR before the siblings were transported to a local hospital.

Neither child survived.

THE 0.16 BAC BECAME A CENTRAL ISSUE

The tragedy has since become the focus of a criminal case against Schneider.

Prosecutors allege that Schneider was operating the boat while impaired.

His reported blood-alcohol concentration was approximately 0.16%, about twice New Jersey’s legal limit for operating a vessel.

Schneider reportedly told police that he had consumed three beers over approximately two hours during dinner with his family before getting behind the wheel.

Court documents say he was traveling at approximately 20 mph and told investigators he saw the channel marker only at the last moment.

The circumstances surrounding his alcohol consumption, the collision and the moments leading up to the impact are expected to remain major issues as the case proceeds.

SCHNEIDER IS FACING SERIOUS CHARGES

Schneider has been charged with two counts of reckless vessel homicide/death by vessel, along with allegations involving operating a vessel under the influence and reckless operation.

He has not been convicted, and the charges remain allegations that must be proven in court.

A judge recently granted Schneider conditional release while the case moves forward. Among the conditions, he has been prohibited from operating a boat or motor vehicle while completing a court-ordered assessment.

A FAMILY NOW CAUGHT BETWEEN GRIEF AND THE COURT CASE

Perhaps one of the most complicated aspects of the case is that Schneider was not a stranger to the children.

He was their grandfather.

The children’s father has reportedly asked the court to allow Schneider to remain out of custody, describing him as a loving grandfather and an important part of the family.

That support underscores the extraordinary emotional conflict surrounding the case.

For the family, there is grief over the loss of two children — while at the same time, the person facing criminal charges is someone they loved.

THE 911 RECORDING PRESERVES THE MOMENTS NO FAMILY WILL EVER FORGET

The newly released audio does more than document the emergency response.

It captures the moment a grandmother realized that something had gone terribly wrong and desperately tried to communicate with rescuers.

Her words — “We have one on the boat” — convey the confusion of a family trying to locate two children in the darkness.

Within hours, what had begun as a family evening on the water had become a devastating tragedy.

Mya was 9.

Sigmund was 7.

And the haunting 911 call now provides a glimpse into the desperate minutes when their family was still fighting to bring them home.

The investigation and court proceedings remain ongoing.