Roman Shteynshlyuger, a 47-year-old American tourist, was supposed to be in Tibet when devastating floods hit communities in northern Nepal, near the border with China. However, his Chinese visa was denied, which caused him to abandon the planned excursion to the region.
Instead of heading to Tibet, Shteynshlyuger hiked to the Everest base camp and subsequently returned to the United States. The decision that initially seemed to only disrupt his travel plans ended up changing his fate.
Back safely, the American tourist stated that the visa denial "saved his life." In an interview with CNN, he said he was extremely happy and lucky to be alive, but expressed sadness for the families affected by the floods, describing what happened as shocking. The American had been included on a list of citizens whose visas were denied by China.
