Two young children were killed Sunday evening when the boat they were on with their grandparents crashed into a channel marker in Barnegat Bay, authorities said.
The incident occurred around 9 p.m. in the Intercoastal Waterway in Berkeley Township, New Jersey. The victims, a 9-year-old girl and her 7-year-old brother, were ejected from the 30-foot Tidewater Custom 280 boat when it struck the marker.
Their grandparents, identified as Stephen Schneider, 63, and Laurie Schneider, 64, both of Bayville, were on board at the time of the crash. Stephen Schneider was piloting the boat, which struck a marker that had functioning lights, according to Berkeley Councilman James Byrnes.
First responders arrived to find the children unresponsive in the water. Byrnes told News12 New Jersey that he observed one of the children wearing a life jacket as firefighters attempted resuscitation.
"The firemen jumped right in" to try to save them, Byrnes said. "The one child had a life jacket next to him. Of course, with CPR being performed, they're going to remove it."
The community has been deeply affected by the incident. "It's a very tight community feeling very disheartened, very sad," local resident Michelle Monticello told News12.
No charges have been filed, and the incident remains under investigation.