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

Stephen Schneider did not spend the final hours before the boat trip alone — he was surrounded by family at a restaurant, giving investigators several potential witnesses to what happened before the crash.

According to court documents cited by local news outlets, Schneider told police he had consumed three beers over roughly two hours during a family dinner at MJ’s Restaurant Bar & Grill in Bayville, New Jersey.

The gathering included Schneider, his wife, his daughter, his son-in-law and his two grandchildren.

Not long after the dinner, Schneider took the children aboard his Tidewater Custom 280.

The boat later struck an Intracoastal Waterway channel marker at around 9 p.m., throwing the two children into the water.

THE PEOPLE AT THE TABLE

This is what makes the restaurant portion of the timeline particularly important.

Schneider’s account of his alcohol consumption can potentially be compared with the recollections of people who were sitting with him.

Family members were present during the meal.

Restaurant employees may also have observed what was ordered, when drinks were served and when the group eventually left.

Those details could help investigators reconstruct the final hours before the boat departed.

THREE BEERS — THEN A 0.16% BAC

Schneider reportedly told investigators that he consumed three beers.

But prosecutors later said a blood test taken after the crash showed a BAC of approximately 0.16%, about twice New Jersey’s legal limit.

That contrast has naturally become one of the central questions surrounding the case.

The BAC result does not, by itself, establish exactly how many drinks Schneider consumed at the restaurant or precisely what his BAC was at the moment of impact.

But it gives investigators another piece of evidence against which his account can be examined.

WHAT DID WITNESSES SEE?

The people around Schneider during those final hours could potentially provide important observations.

How many drinks did they remember seeing?

How long did the meal last?

What time did the family leave?

And what did Schneider appear like as he prepared to operate the boat?

These questions may become increasingly significant as investigators reconstruct the sequence of events.

THE FINAL MOMENTS BEFORE DEPARTURE

According to court documents, Schneider said he was traveling at approximately 20 mph when he saw the channel marker only at the last second. Authorities have said the marker’s lights were functioning properly.

That leaves investigators examining not just the crash itself, but everything that happened beforehand.

The dinner.

The drinks.

The departure.

The boat ride.

And the final moments before impact.

The people who were sitting at that table may have witnessed some of the last moments before Schneider took the helm.

Their accounts could help fill in a timeline that investigators are still working to reconstruct.