Timing Saves Tinley Park Man from Deadly Nepal Earthquake

A Tinley Park man barely missed being in the path of a massive earthquake that rocked Nepal.

Rob Bescker had just finished his trek down from the Mount Everest base when the 7.8 magnitude quake hit. He and his sister had traveled to Nepal a few days earlier than planned. Had they waited, the pair would have been at the base at the time of the quake. He overcame heart problems and other illness to make the journey. Bescker said it was either a twist of fate or divine intervention that kept him safe.

More than 4,400 people have been reported dead, and the toll continues to rise.

After the quake, he and others staying at a hotel in the area were not allowed back inside. Nights were spent outdoors, in the hotel’s courtyard.

“For the most part, it was OK,” he told My Fox Chicago of his ordeal.

Bescker is currently in Kathmandu and hopes to be back in the States by the weekend. He plans to write an inspirational memoir about his experience.

The United Nations estimates that 8 million people have been affected by the quake, with more than 1.4 million people still in need of clean water and food.

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