Two children were killed over the weekend after a boat they were riding in crashed into a channel marker in New Jersey’s Intracoastal Waterway, authorities said.
Troopers responded around 9:10 p.m. on Sunday to the waters near Berkeley Township after receiving a report that a vessel had crashed, a spokesperson for the New Jersey State Police told NTD in an email Tuesday.
Officials said a preliminary investigation indicated that a 30-foot Tidewater Custom boat collided with a beacon in the Barnegat Bay, causing a 9-year-old girl and 7-year-old boy to be ejected into the water.
The spokesperson said the vessel’s operator, Stephen Schneider, 63, and occupant, Laurie Schneider, 64, both of Bayville, found the children unresponsive in the water. The children were taken to an area hospital, where they were pronounced dead.
Authorities have not yet released the names of the two children or disclosed their relationship to the two adults aboard the boat. However, multiple media outlets have reported that the victims were the Schneiders’ grandchildren.
Officials have not said whether speed, visibility, or adverse weather conditions may have played a role in the collision. The investigation into the boat crash remains ongoing. “No additional information is available,” the New Jersey State Police spokesperson told NTD.
The Barnegat Bay stretches for more than 40 miles along the New Jersey coastline and is dotted with many channel markers, some of which are lighted, that serve as navigational aids to help guide boaters through the waters.
“The one child had a life jacket next to him. Of course, with CPR being performed, they’re going to remove it,” Byrnes also told the outlet. “Our hearts go out to the family. This is a real tragedy.”
Two people were thrown overboard by the impact and subsequently taken to a local hospital in critical condition. Four others onboard the vessel were treated for minor injuries.
One of the victims who was ejected from the boat, identified by authorities as Gunnar Pearson, 28, of Barnegat, died from injuries he sustained in the accident.
