THE MISSING LIFE JACKETS: WHAT HAPPENED TO MYA AND SIGGY IN THEIR FINAL MOMENTS?

Two children were thrown from a family boat into the dark waters of Barnegat Bay — and investigators are now examining every detail surrounding their final moments.

Mya Bella Golabek, 9, and her younger brother, Sigmund “Siggy” Golabek, 7, were aboard their grandfather’s boat when the vessel struck a channel marker at night.

Both children entered the water.

What happened next has become a crucial part of the investigation.

THE CHILDREN WERE WEARING LIFE JACKETS — BUT QUESTIONS REMAIN

According to information released in the investigation, the children were wearing personal flotation devices when they were on the boat.

But investigators are examining exactly what happened to those flotation devices during the crash and rescue.

Were the jackets still properly positioned when the children entered the water?

Did the impact affect how they functioned?

And what was happening aboard the boat in the moments immediately before the collision?

These questions matter because the children were suddenly thrown into the bay after the boat struck the marker.

A NIGHTTIME CRASH IN BARNEGAT BAY

The boat was traveling across Barnegat Bay when it collided with a channel marker.

The impact sent Mya and Siggy into the water.

Their grandfather and another family member reportedly attempted to rescue them before emergency crews arrived.

Despite those efforts, both children ultimately lost their lives.

Investigators are now reconstructing the sequence of events minute by minute.

WHY THE LIFE JACKETS MATTER

A life jacket can be critical during an emergency on the water, particularly at night when visibility is limited and rescuers may have difficulty locating someone who has fallen overboard.

That makes the condition, positioning and use of the children’s flotation devices potentially important evidence.

But the presence or absence of a properly positioned life jacket does not, by itself, establish why the children died or who was responsible.

Those conclusions require the complete investigative and medical evidence.

THE GRANDPA’S ALCOHOL LEVEL IS ALSO UNDER SCRUTINY

The crash investigation has also focused heavily on Stephen Schneider, the children’s grandfather and the person operating the boat.

Investigators have reported that Schneider said he had consumed three beers before the incident.

A later toxicology test recorded a 0.16% blood alcohol concentration, although the timing of the blood draw must be considered when interpreting that result.

Schneider has been charged in connection with the children’s deaths and is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.

TWO CHILDREN WHO NEVER MADE IT HOME

Mya and Siggy were siblings who had been spending time with their family.

Instead of returning home that night, their family was suddenly confronted with an emergency on the water.

Now investigators are attempting to reconstruct what happened from the boat, witness accounts, toxicology evidence, physical evidence and the circumstances of the rescue.

Every detail matters.

Including the life jackets.

Including the speed and direction of the boat.

Including what happened immediately before the collision.

And including the decisions made during those final minutes.

THE QUESTION ISN’T JUST WHAT HAPPENED AFTER THE CHILDREN ENTERED THE WATER.

It is what happened in the moments before they were thrown into it.

As investigators continue piecing together the timeline, the circumstances surrounding Mya and Siggy’s final moments remain at the center of the case.