A boy who claimed that he went to heaven after a 2004 car accident has recanted his story and now says that he only claimed he went to heaven for the attention.

Alex Malarkey was the subject of the book “The Boy Who Came Back From Heaven.”  He was paralyzed in the accident and doctors said he would likely never come out of a coma.  When he woke up two months later, he told those around him that he had angels take him through the gates of heaven to meet Jesus.

Now, he says that was entirely false.

“I said I went to heaven because I thought it would get me attention. When I made the claims that I did, I had never read the Bible,” he explained. “People have profited from lies, and continue to. They should read the Bible, which is enough. The Bible is the only source of truth.”

Alex now is speaking out about the true path to salvation.

“It is only through repentance of your sins and a belief in Jesus as the Son of God, who died for your sins (even though he committed none of his own) so that you can be forgiven may you learn of Heaven outside of what is written in the Bible… not by reading a work of man,” he stated.

The boy’s mother told the Christian Post that Alex has not made any money from the book telling the story and that he never wanted the book published.