A 26-year-old man died, and three other people were injured when a boat struck a channel marker in Barnegat Bay, New Jersey State Police said.
The crash occurred about 10:56 p.m. Saturday in the Intracoastal Waterway in Toms River Township, Ocean County. A 32-foot Boston Whaler struck a channel marker, police said.
The vessel’s operator, Kevin Wells, 39, of Warren Township, drove the boat to a residence on Silver Lagoon Drive after the collision, where emergency personnel responded and provided aid, according to State Police Trooper Christopher Postorino.
Michael T. Bereheiko, of Green Brook, was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead. He would have turned 27 on August 4, 2026.
Two passengers, Steven Pochick, 27, of Green Brook, and Nicholas Cherasaro, 27, of North Plainfield, sustained serious injuries and were transported to a hospital for treatment. A fourth passenger, Sarah Stulh, 24, of Bayville, suffered minor injuries, police said.
The crash occurred during the annual FloatShoalla Weekend, an unofficial gathering held July 25-26 at Tices Shoal on Barnegat Bay. The event, accessible only by watercraft, draws hundreds of boats and large crowds on inner tubes and floaties and is promoted as the Jersey Shore’s largest boat party. It featured DJs and open-water swimming as part of this year’s festivities.
Saturday’s collision was the second deadly boating accident involving a channel marker on Barnegat Bay in less than a week. On July 19, a boat operated by Stephen Schneider, 63, of Bayville, struck an Intracoastal Waterway channel marker, killing his young grandson and granddaughter.
The Ocean County Sheriff’s Office posted a public reminder Sunday morning urging boaters to treat watercraft operation with the same seriousness as driving a vehicle and to make responsible decisions on the bay.
The crash remains under investigation by the New Jersey State Police Marine Services Bureau. No additional information was immediately available.
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