“ONLY THREE BEERS”: STEPHEN SCHNEIDER’S ACCOUNT CLASHES WITH 0.16 BAC AFTER FATAL BOAT CRASH

BARNEGAT BAY, N.J. — Stephen Schneider told police he had consumed only three beers over approximately two hours during a family dinner.

But prosecutors say a later alcohol test painted a dramatically different picture.

The 64-year-old New Jersey grandfather is facing serious charges after his 28-foot Tidewater Custom 280 struck a channel marker on Barnegat Bay on July 19, sending his two young grandchildren into the water.

Mya Golabek, 9, and her 7-year-old brother, Sigmund, later died at the hospital.

Now, Schneider’s statement about how much he drank has become one of the most closely scrutinized details in the case.

“I HAD THREE BEERS”

According to court documents, Schneider told investigators he had consumed three beers over about two hours while having dinner with his wife, daughter, son-in-law and grandchildren.

After dinner, the children went aboard Schneider’s boat for the trip home.

The family was traveling through Barnegat Bay at approximately 9 p.m. when the vessel struck a wooden channel marker.

The impact sent Mya and Sigmund into the water, despite both children reportedly wearing life jackets.

What followed was a frantic nighttime rescue effort.

Schneider and his wife attempted to locate the children, and Schneider reportedly entered the water searching for them.

THEN CAME THE 0.16 READING

Prosecutors say Schneider’s blood-alcohol concentration was approximately 0.16, twice New Jersey’s legal limit of 0.08.

At a recent court hearing, prosecutors argued that the reading demonstrated a significant level of impairment.

“The defendant consumed enough alcohol to reach a BAC of approximately 0.16 and then operated a vessel,” prosecutor Kate Burke argued, according to reports.

The prosecution says that level of alcohol impairment is particularly significant because Schneider was operating a boat at night with children aboard.

Schneider has not been convicted of the charges, and the allegations against him remain unproven in court.

WHAT HAPPENED IN THOSE FINAL MOMENTS?

The biggest unanswered question may be what Schneider saw — or failed to see — immediately before the collision.

The boat struck a channel marker in the darkness.

Investigators are examining the circumstances surrounding the collision, including questions about the marker and the vessel’s operation.

Schneider’s attorney has indicated that the defense intends to investigate whether the marker was illuminated that night and has also questioned the need for further examination of the reported BAC.

That could become a significant issue as the case moves forward.

TWO CHILDREN, ONE FAMILY DINNER — AND A TRAGEDY

The children had spent the evening with their family before deciding to ride with their grandfather.

It was supposed to be an ordinary family trip.

Instead, within minutes, everything changed.

Mya, 9, and Sigmund, 7, were thrown from the boat after the collision and were later found unresponsive in the water.

Emergency crews rushed them to the hospital, but both children died.

The tragedy has left the family facing an unimaginable loss.

Yet one of the most striking aspects of the case is that the children’s own father has publicly supported Schneider.

THE CHILDREN’S FATHER ASKED FOR SCHNEIDER’S RELEASE

At Schneider’s detention hearing, the father of Mya and Sigmund reportedly asked the judge to allow his father-in-law to await trial outside jail.

He described Schneider as a loving grandfather and emphasized the role he had played in the family’s life.

The judge ultimately granted Schneider’s release with conditions.

He is prohibited from operating a vessel or vehicle while the case proceeds and is subject to monitoring requirements.

That decision has added another emotional layer to an already devastating case.

THE CHARGES ARE SERIOUS

Schneider faces two counts of reckless vessel homicide, along with allegations involving operating a vessel under the influence and reckless operation of a vessel.

His next court appearance is scheduled for September 15.

Prosecutors will have to prove their allegations in court, while the defense will have an opportunity to challenge the evidence and present its own interpretation of what happened.

THE “THREE BEERS” QUESTION

At the heart of the case is a striking contradiction:

Schneider reportedly told investigators he drank three beers.

Prosecutors say testing showed a BAC of 0.16.

Those two facts are now part of a much larger investigation into what happened on Barnegat Bay that night.

The difference could ultimately become important to how prosecutors characterize Schneider’s judgment and ability to operate the vessel.

But for the family, no courtroom argument can change the outcome.

Two children went out on the water with their grandfather.

They never came home.

And as investigators reconstruct the final seconds before the boat struck the marker, the question remains:

How did a routine family evening turn into a tragedy that shattered four lives forever?