Overview
- A 30-foot Tidewater boat struck an Intracoastal channel marker, throwing 9-year-old Mya Bella Golabek and 7-year-old Sigmund Golabek into the water where their grandparents found them unresponsive and they were later pronounced dead.
- State police say the collision occurred on the night of Sunday, July 19, and that the boat was being operated by the children’s 63-year-old grandfather, Stephen Schneider.
- Berkeley Township officials told reporters the channel marker’s lights were functioning at the time, and witnesses described immediate rescue efforts by the grandparents and emergency crews.
- The New Jersey State Police have opened a preliminary investigation into the vessel, the operator and navigation conditions, and no charges have been announced as of the latest reports.
- Family obituaries and local fundraisers show the community response to the deaths, and authorities may pursue safety reviews or further legal and maritime steps depending on the investigation’s findings.