Newly Released 911 Calls Reveal Desperate Rescue Effort After Barnegat Bay Boat Crash Killed Two Young Siblings

Stephen Schneider, 64, was arrested for allegedly piloting his boat while intoxicated in Barnegat Bay, slamming into a wood channel marker and sending his two grandchildren into the water on July 19.Ocean County Jail

Newly released emergency recordings have revealed the frantic moments immediately following a deadly boating crash on Barnegat Bay that claimed the lives of two young siblings last month.

Mya Bella Golabek, 9, and her 7-year-old brother, Sigmund Paul Golabek, were aboard a boat operated by their grandfather, Stephen Schneider, when it struck a channel marker in waters off Berkeley Township, New Jersey, on the night of July 19. The impact sent both children into the water.

Schneider, 64, has since been charged with two counts of reckless vessel homicide/death by vessel, operating a vessel under the influence and reckless operation of a vessel. Prosecutors allege his blood alcohol concentration was approximately 0.16, twice the legal limit. He has not been convicted, and the criminal case remains pending.

Emergency recordings capture frantic search for the children

The 911 dispatcher can be heard asking if the children were unconscious, to which the distressed grandma replies, “Yes, yes they are!”

The newly released 911 audio provides a clearer picture of the confusion and urgency aboard the boat after the collision.

Schneider’s wife, Laurie Schneider, was also aboard the vessel. In the recording, she tells the dispatcher that one child had been recovered while her husband was still in the water trying to locate the other.

When the dispatcher asked whether the children were unconscious, Laurie confirmed that they were. She also attempted to identify their location near Channel Marker 39 while Stephen remained involved in the rescue effort.

Authorities said the grandparents eventually located both children in the water and brought them back aboard. CPR was attempted before Mya and Sigmund were transported to a nearby hospital.

Neither child survived.

What investigators say happened on July 19

Mya Bella Golabek, 9, and her brother Sigmund Paul Golabek, 7, were killed in the crash.Facebook / Siggy Golabek

The crash occurred shortly after 9 p.m. as Schneider was operating a Tidewater vessel through the Intracoastal Waterway in Barnegat Bay.

New Jersey State Police said the boat struck a wooden channel marker, causing Mya and Sigmund to be ejected into the water. Laurie Schneider was the other passenger aboard the vessel.

The children had been spending time with their family before the crash. Reporting on the investigation indicates they had chosen to ride with their grandparents after a family dinner, while their parents traveled separately.

What should have been a short trip ended when the vessel collided with the marker.

According to prosecutors, Schneider later told investigators that he had consumed three beers over approximately two hours during dinner. Prosecutors allege testing showed his blood alcohol concentration was around 0.16.

Grandfather charged weeks after crash

Sigmund Golabek (right) and Mya Golabek (left) are pictured.Facebook / Jennifer Cisecki Golabek

Nearly a month after the children’s deaths, Schneider voluntarily surrendered to authorities on Aug. 14.

He was charged with two counts of second-degree reckless vessel homicide/death by vessel, along with operating a vessel under the influence and reckless operation of a vessel.

The charges represent allegations that will have to be resolved through the court process.

The case took an emotional turn during Schneider’s detention hearing when the children’s own father — Schneider’s son-in-law — asked the court to allow him to return home.

Through a letter read by Schneider’s attorney, the grieving father described his father-in-law as someone who had consistently supported the family and praised him as a loving grandfather with a generous heart.

The judge ultimately granted Schneider’s release from jail while the case proceeds.

Remembering Mya and Sigmund

Beyond the investigation and criminal proceedings, the tragedy has left a family and community mourning two children remembered for their close bond and distinctive personalities.

Mya, born April 6, 2017, was remembered as an energetic and competitive 9-year-old who loved softball, basketball, swimming, trips to the beach, crabbing, crafts and drawing. Her obituary described a child whose enthusiasm and creativity touched those around her.

Sigmund, affectionately known as “Siggy,” was 7. His obituary remembered him as sweet and initially shy but also adventurous, someone who brought joy and laughter to his family and friends.

The siblings were laid to rest following services on July 24.

Investigation continues as recordings reveal the immediate aftermath

Stephen Schneider is shown during a Zoom first appearance from the Ocean Couny Jail before Superior Court Judge Wendel E. Daniels on Wednesday, August 19, 2026.USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The release of the emergency recordings adds another painful dimension to a case that has drawn significant attention in New Jersey.

They document the grandparents’ desperate effort to locate and help Mya and Sigmund immediately after the collision, while the criminal proceedings focus on the circumstances leading up to it.

Schneider remains accused of operating the vessel while impaired, and the case against him is ongoing. The newly released audio does not determine criminal responsibility, but it provides a firsthand account of the frantic minutes after a family boat ride turned into a tragedy that claimed the lives of two children.