THE LAST PEOPLE TO SEE STEPHEN SCHNEIDER BEFORE THE BOAT TRIP MAY HOLD A CRUCIAL PIECE OF THE TIMELINE

Stephen Schneider did not drink alone before taking his two grandchildren out on the boat.

According to investigators, Schneider had dinner with his wife, daughter, son-in-law and grandchildren at MJ’s Restaurant in Bayville before the family separated and the children went aboard Schneider’s boat.

Schneider reportedly told police that he consumed three beers over roughly two hours.

But the later blood-alcohol result — approximately 0.16%, twice New Jersey’s legal limit — has placed renewed attention on what happened during those final hours before the crash.

WHO SAW HIM BEFORE HE LEFT?

The people sitting around Schneider’s table may be among the most important witnesses to the timeline.

His family members were there.

Restaurant employees were there.

And other customers may have been nearby.

Their observations could potentially help investigators establish when Schneider arrived, when drinks were served, when he finished his meal and when the family eventually left for the boat.

THREE BEERS — THEN A 0.16% BAC

Schneider’s statement that he consumed three beers is now being examined alongside the blood-test result.

The reported BAC became a major part of the prosecution’s argument that Schneider was significantly impaired when he operated the vessel.

But the precise relationship between the drinks he reported consuming and the later BAC is ultimately a matter for investigators, experts and the court to evaluate.

THE FINAL HOURS COULD MATTER

The crash happened around 9 p.m. on July 19, after the family dinner.

Schneider’s boat struck a wooden channel marker in Barnegat Bay, throwing 9-year-old Mya Bella Golabek and 7-year-old Sigmund Paul Golabek into the water. Both children later died despite rescue efforts.

That makes the period immediately before the boat left the restaurant especially important.

Who remembers what Schneider drank?

When did he finish his final beer?

How long was it between the last drink and the crash?

Those seemingly ordinary details could become significant as the case moves forward.

Schneider is facing charges including reckless vessel homicide, operating a vessel under the influence and reckless operation of a vessel. He has been released while the legal proceedings continue.

For now, the restaurant table remains one of the places investigators can look when reconstructing the final hours before the tragic boat trip.