The 9-year-old girl and 7-year-old boy were thrown into the water during a Sunday night trip with two Bayville adults.
BERKELEY TOWNSHIP, N.J. — Two children died after a 30-foot boat struck a channel marker in Barnegat Bay, throwing them into the water during a Sunday night outing, New Jersey State Police said.
The crash happened shortly after 9 p.m. July 19 in the Berkeley Township bay area. The victims were a 9-year-old girl and a 7-year-old boy whose names had not been released as of Wednesday. Both children were found unresponsive, taken to a hospital and pronounced dead.
Police said the children were aboard a Tidewater Custom vessel operated by Stephen Schneider, 63, of Bayville. Laurie Schneider, 64, also of Bayville, was the other adult on the boat. Authorities had not publicly identified the adults’ relationship to the children, although local news reports described them as the children’s grandparents.
The vessel was traveling in Barnegat Bay when it struck a marker along the Intracoastal Waterway, police said. The force of the collision ejected both children. Stephen and Laurie Schneider searched the water and located them before emergency crews arrived.
First responders took over efforts to revive the children at the scene. Berkeley Township Councilman James Byrnes, who witnessed the emergency response, said firefighters entered the water and began helping immediately.
Byrnes said a life jacket was seen beside one of the children while CPR was being performed. Authorities had not released further information about whether either child was wearing a flotation device when the collision occurred.
The deaths brought expressions of grief from people living near the bay. Resident Michelle Monticello said she went to the area quietly to pay her respects and described the surrounding community as deeply saddened by the loss.
Police had not disclosed what caused the boat to strike the marker or whether speed, visibility, mechanical trouble or another factor played a role. No injuries to the two adults were reported in the information released after the crash.
The children’s relationship to each other also had not been officially confirmed. Authorities continued to withhold their names as the investigation proceeded and relatives were given time to grieve.
No charges had been filed as of Wednesday. New Jersey State Police said the collision remained under investigation, and no final determination about its cause had been announced.
Author note: Last updated July 22, 2026.