Trial For Two Who Dared Autistic Man To Dive Into Icy Ocean Begins

Did an autistic man who plunged off a jetty into the icy Atlantic Ocean on a dare from two former classmates know what he was doing or should the men be held criminally responsible?

That's the question to be decided in Manasquan Municipal Court. The men, Nicholas Formica and Christopher Tilton, are accused of endangering the welfare of an incompetent person, according to nj.com.

They offered Parker Drake two packs of cigarettes and $20 to jump off a Manasquan jetty shirtless on Feb. 25, 2015 and stay in the water for a minute.

Drake, now 20, also has diabetes that requires an insulin pump and Tourette's syndrome. But defense attorneys contend he was capable of making his own decisions.

The air temperature that day was 18 degrees. Drake was shaking so violently that someone asked him if he needed an ambulance.

"I didn't know if I was going to make it. I just wanted to get (to shore). I thought 'this may be it'...like I was going to die," Drake told Manasquan municipal Judge Paul Capotorto

Drake's mother filed a complaint against the two when police didn't initially charge Tilton and Formica. They were eventually charged with endangering the welfare of an incompetent person.

To read the entire story, click here.