A New Jersey grandfather accused of causing a devastating boating accident that killed his two grandchildren has been released from jail after the children’s father asked the court to let him come home.

Stephen Schneider, 64, was granted release Wednesday during a hearing in Ocean County. Prosecutors said his blood alcohol concentration was approximately 0.16 — twice New Jersey’s legal limit for operating a vessel.

The July 19 crash claimed the lives of siblings Mya Golabek, 9, and Sigmund Paul Golabek, 7.

Prosecutor Kate Burke argued that Schneider’s alleged level of intoxication showed the seriousness of the decision to operate the boat that night.

“The result was catastrophic,” Burke said, noting that two children lost their lives.

Schneider reportedly told investigators that he had consumed three beers over approximately two hours while having dinner with his wife, daughter, son-in-law and grandchildren.

After the meal, the children traveled with their grandfather aboard his boat toward their grandparents’ home.

The family outing turned into tragedy when Schneider’s 28-foot boat struck a wooden channel marker in Barnegat Bay near Berkeley Township.

The impact threw Mya and Sigmund into the water.

Both children were wearing life jackets, but they were later found unresponsive. Schneider and his wife attempted CPR before the children were taken to a hospital, where they were pronounced dead.

Their father asked the court to release him
Despite the devastating loss, the children’s father wrote a letter asking the court to release Schneider.

The letter described him as a loving grandfather and an important part of the family.

“He’s been there for our family in ways that words cannot fully express,” the father wrote.

He also said he remained grateful for the love Schneider had shown his children and for the role he played in their lives.

Schneider’s attorney told the court that the children’s parents were grieving and wanted him home with the family.

The defense also argued that Schneider remained hospitalized while recovering from injuries suffered in the crash.

His attorney told the judge that Schneider would likely never operate a boat again and would no longer drink alcohol.

A family shattered by one night
Mya and Sigmund were remembered as extremely close siblings with a strong bond.

Their deaths have left their parents facing the unimaginable loss of both children at once.

Schneider now faces two counts of reckless death by vessel and related charges. His defense is also seeking to examine questions surrounding the crash, including whether the channel marker was properly illuminated and whether an independent expert should review the reported blood-alcohol result.

The case is scheduled to return to court on September 15.

For the family, however, the legal proceedings are only one part of a tragedy that cannot be undone.

Two children who began the evening with their family never made it home.