Student adjusts after shark attack

On Oct. 18, the IDS published a story about freshman Matt Alsop and his recovery following a shark attack that allegedly occurred in July 2010. The story was published in the campus section of the print edition as well as on idsnews.com.

With a number of outside tips and corresponding research, it was discovered the accounts of the shark attack were fabricated on the record by Alsop.

Alsop admitted to the fabrication after speaking with an IDS reporter.

“I just like to tell stories,” he said. “It’s kind of what I do.”

While explaining the motive behind the fabrication, Alsop said he feared disciplinary action from the University and the prospect of his parents learning of the deceit after it was exposed.

“If I had this to do over again, I wouldn’t do it because of all the distraction it caused,” Alsop said in an email. “It just seemed fascinating that such a poorly constructed lie could find its way so easily into print.”

Alsop said the severity of the injuries was not exaggerated or fabricated, merely the incident that led to the injuries.

“I didn’t fabricate a single aspect of the recovery, simply the incident itself,” Alsop said in the email. “And again, I’m sorry if I have offended anyone — my motives behind this were entirely for entertainment.”

The following is the story that originally ran in print.

Freshman Matt Alsop described the ideal Florida vacation beach scene. He made his way to the shore and into the brisk waters of the Atlantic Ocean. His solo leisure swim quickly went awry.

Alsop is the survivor of a shark attack in July 2010 that he said could have claimed his life.

“It’s hard to describe. It’s sort of like this intangible feeling,” Alsop said. “It was this weird sensation and it didn’t hurt as much as you would think, probably because my body was in shock and it was hard to comprehend what was going on, but I had an idea something had attacked me.”

Looking back on the day, he said he has come to appreciate, more than anything, the function he believes most take for granted on a daily basis — walking.

Alsop said he isn’t afraid to acknowledge the fact that he enjoys long walks.

The start of this semester marked the first start of the school year that Alsop was able to partake in since the incident.

The IU freshman missed the first month of his senior year in high school for a two-month recovery period.

When he finally did begin his final year of high school, he had to use a walking cane.

“People were standoffish and really didn’t know what to say,” Alsop said. “They were shocked by it all. I wouldn’t say it changed my social standing or anything, (but people) were really serious about it.”

In the beginning stages of the aftermath surrounding the attack, Alsop said he was going through the motions of a typical soon-to-be senior. But as the year went on, Alsop said he grew complacent. 

“I just withdrew,” Alsop said. 

Alsop underwent several procedures, including a skin graft from his right thigh which was placed over the injury area on his left calf.

Overall, he said a total of seven procedures were performed and that there may be more on the horizon to correct nerve damage.

Due to his injuries and physical conditions, Alsop said it was hard to find meaning in widely anticipated high school events, such as prom and football games.

When he was ready for college, Alsop said he knew that attending school at IU also meant a fair amount of walking. He said he never planned to use campus buses, and he quickly learned to adapt to his situation.

When trying to transport himself from one class to the next, or one side of campus to the other, Alsop rarely uses public transportation.

 As a former starting baseball player in high school, Alsop tries to incorporate any physical activity possible into his daily routine.

“The most rewarding thing for me when I recovered was walking,” Alsop said. “I can’t really run yet, so it’s just a way to relieve (tension).”

As Alsop continues to make strides in terms of physical rehabilitation, he said he takes everything gradually and deals with each challenge as it presents itself.

“I would say I do things I want more, because when you almost die from ‘just swimming,’ it’s kind of eye-opening,” Alsop said. “(You think to yourself,) ‘Okay, I could’ve just died, so I might as well make the most of things — (a near-death experience) changes the way you look at everything.”

Alsop said he now takes on his daily tasks and everyday college life with an entirely new mentality.  

“You could die at any minute,” Alsop said.