“THE FIREMEN JUMPED RIGHT IN” — DESPERATE CPR EFFORTS AFTER TWO CHILDREN WERE THROWN INTO BARNEGAT BAY

A peaceful summer evening on New Jersey’s Barnegat Bay turned into a desperate rescue operation when a 30-foot boat struck a channel marker and threw two young children into the dark water.

The children — a 9-year-old girl and her 7-year-old brother — were aboard the boat when the collision occurred around 9 p.m. on July 19. Both were later pronounced dead at a hospital.

“THE FIREMEN JUMPED RIGHT IN”

Berkeley Township Councilman James Byrnes, who witnessed the emergency response, described how quickly firefighters moved to help.

“The firemen jumped right in.”

Byrnes said one of the children had a life jacket beside him while CPR was being performed.

He explained that the flotation device was removed so rescuers could carry out the lifesaving procedure.

The detail offers a heartbreaking glimpse into the frantic moments after the children were brought from the water.

A DESPERATE FIGHT TO SAVE THEM

The children were found unresponsive after being thrown overboard.

Their grandparents, Stephen and Laurie Schneider, were also aboard the vessel and helped locate the children in the water before emergency crews took over the rescue effort.

Rescue crews staged near the pier at MJ’s Restaurant as emergency personnel worked to revive the children.

Despite those efforts, neither child survived.

 THE INVESTIGATION LATER TOOK A NEW TURN

The tragedy initially remained under investigation without charges.

Authorities later alleged that Stephen Schneider was operating the boat while intoxicated.

He has since been charged with two counts of second-degree reckless vessel homicide, along with charges related to operating a vessel under the influence and reckless operation. Schneider voluntarily surrendered to authorities.

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

THE CHANNEL MARKER WAS LIT

Another detail investigators examined was the condition of the channel marker.

Officials said the marker’s lights were functioning on the night of the crash.

That detail became part of the wider investigation into how the collision happened.

But for the families of Mya Bella Golabek, 9, and Sigmund “Siggy” Paul Golabek, 7, the most important moments remain those frantic minutes when first responders tried to bring the children back.

 FIREFIGHTERS RUSHED TO HELP.

TWO CHILDREN WERE PULLED FROM THE WATER.

CPR WAS PERFORMED IN A DESPERATE ATTEMPT TO SAVE THEM.

BUT BOTH CHILDREN LATER DIED.

The words from a local councilman remain haunting:

“The firemen jumped right in.”

They describe not just a rescue operation, but the final desperate effort of a community trying to save two children.

Independent commentary based on publicly reported information and official statements. Details of the rescue are presented only where reported by witnesses or news outlets.