LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: ‘Good Morning America’ anchor Gio Benitez is currently reporting from Maui, Hawaii where devastating wildfires have caused huge loss to life and property.
During one of his recent coverages, Gio, who has been on the island for a while, couldn’t contain himself and broke down in tears on live TV.
The 37-year-old has been interacting with the people affected on the island, going to spots where fires had caused unprecedented damage and delivering the best coverage possible back to the studio.
The gravity of the situation came crashing down on him when he was reporting back to Robin Roberts in the studio in New York.
Why did 'GMA' host Gio Benitez break down on live air?
The ‘GMA’ host was reporting on the Maui wildfires and, after witnessing its catastrophic effects, he couldn’t help but break down while talking about it on live air.
Gio started off his segment by praising the way that the community handled the unfortunate events.
He said, “You know, I've been watching here as Maui transforms from this island paradise to an island in crisis, and I've just gotta say, the strength we are witnessing here on the island right now is truly remarkable, guys.”
As he continued, Gio began to tear up and become a bit breathless. This prompted Robin Roberts, who was on the other side seeking the report from him, to speak up.
She asked, “Gio, you've spent a lot of time on the Hawaiian islands, so you know that spirit very well. In fact, you were on vacation in Maui, dropped everything, and went right to work. How are you?"
A visibly shaken Gio replied with tears in his eyes. “It’s incredible to see the spirit of ‘Aloha’ play out in real-time," he replied, beginning to choke up.
"I'm sorry, I'm getting emotional,” he later apologized for it. However, he gathered himself and continued reporting.
He added, "We were watching as so many people came together. They dropped everything to help each other and that was incredibly inspiring to witness here and so, in the midst of all of this sadness, we're really seeing so many people lift each other up.”
'GMA' posted a clip of the conversation on Instagram, captioning it, "“It’s incredible to see the spirit of ‘Aloha’ play out in real-time.” @giobenitez tears up talking about the Maui wildfires."
Fans requested ‘GMA’ host Gio Benitez to be safe
The ‘GMA’ anchor sparked huge concerns when he was spotted reporting from a dangerous location in Maui where wildfires took a huge toll on life. Gio told his co-hosts that he could still smell the fires burning in the air.
Despite the fires still burning, Gio was in the middle of it all, reporting in dangerous winds, and interviewing people who lost their homes and family.
In a previous report, Gio had shared, “The hope is that the winds die down to help the search and rescue effort. They really need that. And there is a worry for what that means for residents on the island.”
Fans commented on the post, begging the ‘GMA’ star to "stay safe" as the wildfires blazed through Maui.
