A New Jersey father has pleaded with a judge to release his children’s grandfather after the two children died in a boat crash that prosecutors say involved alcohol.

The accident occurred on July 19, 2026, in Barnegat Bay, New Jersey, when 64-year-old Stephen Schneider was operating a boat that crashed into a navigational marker.

Schneider’s grandchildren, 9-year-old Mya Golabek and 7-year-old Sigmund Paul Golabek, were thrown into the water and later died.

At a court hearing on August 19, prosecutors said Schneider’s blood alcohol concentration was approximately 0.16%, twice New Jersey’s legal limit of 0.08%.

Despite the allegations, the children’s father submitted a letter asking the court to release Schneider on bail. He described his father as a loving grandfather who played an important role in the family’s life.

Judge Wendel Daniels ultimately released Schneider pending trial. He continues to face charges related to the deaths of his two grandchildren.

The case remains ongoing, and the allegations against Schneider have not been proven in court.