GUNNAR PEARSON: YOUNG OUTDOORSMAN KILLED IN BOAT CRASH — NOW HIS MOM FACES CHARGES

A Memorial Day boating trip ended in tragedy when 28-year-old Gunnar Pearson was thrown from a boat that struck a day marker in Barnegat Bay, New Jersey.

Now, nearly three months later, his mother, Jennifer L. Pearson, 59, is facing criminal charges in connection with the crash.

WHAT HAPPENED?

According to New Jersey State Police, the crash occurred around 5:45 p.m. on May 25.

Jennifer Pearson was allegedly operating a 23-foot center-console boat when it struck a day marker, ejecting Gunnar and another passenger into the water.

Both were transported to a hospital in critical condition. Gunnar later succumbed to his injuries.

Four other passengers suffered minor injuries.

 WHY IS HIS MOTHER NOW CHARGED?

Pearson has been charged with:

• Death by vessel
• Operating a vessel under the influence
• Reckless operation of a vessel
• Operating without a required Boating Safety Certificate
• Failure to maintain a proper lookout

Court documents cited by the New York Post reportedly place Pearson’s blood-alcohol level between 0.09 and 0.12, above New Jersey’s legal limit of 0.08 for operating a vessel.

Pearson voluntarily surrendered to police on August 19. She was subsequently released following a detention hearing on August 21.

 GUNNAR’S LIFE OUTSIDE THE HEADLINES

Gunnar was remembered by his family as a kind, funny and deeply caring young man.

An obituary described him as an avid outdoorsman who loved skiing, fishing, boating, running and hunting.

He had recently completed renovations on his first home in Forked River — a milestone he never got to fully enjoy.

His family remembered his warmth, loyalty and the love he gave to the people around him.

 ANOTHER BARNEGAT BAY TRAGEDY

The case has drawn additional attention because it occurred in the same bay where another fatal boating crash happened weeks later.

On July 19, Mya Golabek, 9, and her brother Sigmund, 7, were killed after their grandfather’s boat struck a channel marker.

That case also resulted in allegations of impaired boating, with Stephen Schneider later charged after investigators reported a 0.16 BAC.

Authorities have said Barnegat Bay is notoriously shallow, and multiple fatal crashes this year have involved boats striking navigation markers.

 THE CASE AGAINST JENNIFER PEARSON IS STILL DEVELOPING

Pearson has been charged, not convicted. The allegations against her will be addressed through the court process.

For Gunnar’s family, however, the legal case comes after an irreversible loss:

A young man who loved the outdoors went out on the water with family — and never came home.