Two young children have died after being thrown from a boat that struck a channel marker off the coast of New Jersey. The nine-year-old girl and seven-year-old boy were ejected from a 30-foot Tidewater Custom 280 on Saturday night into the waters off Berkeley Township, New Jersey.
Details of the Incident
State Police confirmed that the boat collided with an Intercoastal Waterway channel marker, causing the children to be thrown overboard. Boat operator Stephen Schneider, 63, and passenger Laurie Schneider, 64, found the children unresponsive in the water. The pair are believed to be the children's grandparents, according to reports.
Sources told Jersey Shore Online that the group had been dining at MJ's Restaurant Bar and Grill prior to boarding the vessel. The children were rushed to hospital, where they were pronounced dead.
Police Statement
In a statement, the New Jersey State Police said: "On July 19, at approximately 9:09 pm, troopers responded to the report of a serious vessel crash in the Berkeley Township Bay Area. Based on a preliminary investigation, a Tidewater Custom 280 30-foot vessel, while travelling through the Intercoastal Waterway, struck an Intercoastal Waterway channel marker, causing a 9 year old juvenile female and a 7 year old juvenile male to be ejected into the water. The operator, Stephen Schneider, a 63 year old male from Bayville, NJ, and occupant Laurie Schneider, a 64 year old female from Bayville, found the juveniles unresponsive in the water. The youngsters were taken to a local hospital, where they were declared dead. This boat accident is still under investigation, and no further information is available."
