‘GMA’ Anchor Gio Benitez Cries on Air as He Reports on Maui Wildfires

By Radhamely De Leon
Published Aug. 17, 2023, 11:53 a.m. ET

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Good Morning America anchor Gio Benitez teared up on air while reporting on the “incredibly inspiring” rescue efforts he’s witnessed during the ongoing wildfires that struck the island of Maui.

“You know, I’ve been watching here as Maui transforms from this island paradise to an island in crisis, and I’ve just got to say, the strength we are witnessing here, on the island right now, is truly remarkable,” he said during his report on Monday (Aug. 14).

GMA host Robin Roberts then asked him how he was faring on the ground, as he had been on vacation with his husband in Maui when the wildfires began.

Benitez apologized as his eyes began to well up with tears.

“It’s incredible to see the spirit of ‘Aloha’ play out in real-time,” he replied.

“We were watching as so many people came together,” he recalled through tears. “They dropped everything to help each other. And that was incredibly inspiring to witness here. In the midst of all this sadness, we’re really seeing all of these people lift each other up.”

Roberts then thanked him for his “vulnerability,” saying, “It’s a strength.”

Over 1,000 people are still unaccounted for almost a week after the wildfires. The death toll has now reached 111 as first responders on the ground continue searching the affected areas. The Maui wildfire is now considered one of the deadliest the country has seen in over 100 years.

Many of the first responders, from the National Guard to firefighters combing for survivors, are local residents and members of the community.

“This is a small, very tight-knit community, and we are one degree of separation from most people on the island. I think you’d be hard-pressed to find someone that isn’t directly connected to someone who’s been directly impacted by the fires,” Maui Health COO Wade Ebersole told CNN. “That is a scar that we will carry for a very long time.”

Benitez has since continued reporting on the survival efforts from the ground in Hawaii.

His recent reports include first-hand accounts from families who evacuated safely, and local concerns about how Hawaii officials responded to the wildfires.