A New Hope man who caused a large response from emergency service agencies after he jumped into the lake at Core Creek Park in Middletown earlier this year will face trial.
Gregory Morten, 27, had a misdemeanor count of disorderly conduct and summary charges of public drunkenness, swimming, resisting a park ranger, alcohol in a county park, hindering employees and personal conduct forwarded to trial after a preliminary hearing before Judge John Kelly on Thursday.
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Morten is accused of walking out of the St. Mary Medical Center trauma unit in June and running into the county park that sits nearby. With hospital security following, the 27-year-old, who was intoxicated, ended up wading into Lake Luxembourg and going on a roughly two-hour swim, avoiding police and rescuers several times, according to authorities.
As noted in a probable cause affidavit, it was clear that Morten did not want to be rescued when officers said he was swimming away from the boat that officers were using. Bucks County Rangers sought help from various local fire and police departments in the incident. Throughout, Morten was allegedly telling authorities, “I just want to swim,” with slurred speech.
At point during the incident, which drew fire crews from as far away as Richboro, Morten did the back stroke while avoiding authorities trying to get him out of the water, Steve Long, chief of the Bucks County Park Rangers, told LevittownNow.com on the day of the incident.
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Morten, who was reportedly naked at the time, was taken into custody by authorities on a small boat.
A hospital doctor notified police that Morten had been admitted to the hospital earlier in the day and was severely intoxicated with a BAC of .357.
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Officers noted a strong odor of alcohol emanating from Morten’s breath at the time of his arrest.
Officials have said the park was packed at the time Morten began his swim.
According to online court records, Morten has been charged with DUI in Solebury. The alleged DUI incident happened the same day as he was taken to St. Mary Medical Center.
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Morten was released on $5,000 unsecured bail.
