“I ONLY HAD THREE BEERS”: GRANDPA’S CLAIM COLLIDES WITH A 0.16 BAC READING IN DEADLY NEW JERSEY BOAT CRASH

A grandfather accused in the boating incident that claimed the lives of his two grandchildren is facing renewed scrutiny after investigators reported a stark discrepancy between what he allegedly told police about his drinking and the blood-alcohol result recorded in the case.

Stephen Schneider, 64, reportedly told authorities he had consumed only three beers during the outing before operating the approximately 30-foot boat.

But investigators later recorded his blood-alcohol concentration at 0.16% — roughly twice New Jersey’s 0.08% legal limit for operating a vessel.

TWO CHILDREN NEVER MADE IT HOME

The victims were identified as Mya Golabek, 9, and Sigmund “Siggy” Golabek, 7.

The children were reportedly aboard their grandfather’s boat on Barnegat Bay when the vessel struck a channel marker, throwing the children into the water.

Their deaths have devastated their family and community, with relatives and friends continuing to remember the children for their personalities, activities and young lives cut tragically short.

THE THREE-BEER STATEMENT

According to reports, Schneider told investigators that he had consumed only three beers during the approximately two-hour outing.

The toxicology evidence presented in the case paints a very different picture.

His reported 0.16 BAC has become a central detail in the prosecution’s case and has raised questions about how much alcohol he actually consumed before taking control of the boat.

That discrepancy is now one of the most closely watched elements of the investigation.

SERIOUS CHARGES FOLLOWED

Schneider has been charged in connection with the children’s deaths, including reckless vessel homicide, according to reports.

The case remains pending, meaning the allegations against Schneider have not been proven at trial.

A recent court appearance also brought renewed attention to the family’s emotional response to the case, including pleas from the children’s father concerning Schneider’s detention.

 A FAMILY LEFT WITH QUESTIONS

For Mya and Siggy’s loved ones, the case is about far more than a toxicology number.

Two children went out on what should have been an ordinary family outing.

They never came home.

Now investigators and prosecutors are examining the sequence of events leading up to the crash, including Schneider’s alcohol consumption, his condition while operating the vessel and what happened in the moments before the boat struck the marker.

 THREE BEERS OR A 0.16 BAC?

That contradiction has become a crucial part of the case.

But behind every toxicology result and courtroom filing are Mya and Siggy — a 9-year-old girl and 7-year-old boy whose lives ended during a family outing that was supposed to bring them home safely.