A seven-year-old boy and nine-year-old girl have died after being thrown from a boat that struck an Intercoastal Waterway channel marker off Berkeley Township, New Jersey, during a trip with their grandparents.
Details of the Incident
The children were flung from a 30-foot Tidewater Custom 280 on Saturday night into waters off Berkeley Township. State Police confirmed the vessel struck an Intercoastal Waterway channel marker, causing both children to be thrown overboard.
Boat operator Stephen Schneider, 63, and fellow passenger Laurie Schneider, 64, found the children unconscious in the water. The pair are believed to be the youngsters' grandparents.
Response and Investigation
After the incident, the children were taken to hospital where Garden State officials confirmed they were declared dead. The New Jersey State Police released a statement saying: "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."
