A CNN reporter got teary-eyed on air while interviewing a grieving family member of some of the victims of the DC plane crash. News anchor Kaitlan Collins spoke to Andy Beyer, a father who lost his wife, Justyna, and their 12-year-old daughter Brielle, and it didn't take long for her to break down in tears.
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This incident has shaken the nation since the American Airlines flight collided with a military helicopter on January 29. The devastation left no survivors and responders have recovered 55 out of the 67 bodies. One of those bodies was of Beyer's figure skater daughter, the other his wife.
CNN Reporter Cries Interviewing DC Plane Crash Victim's Family
Mid-way through the eight-minute interview, Collins choked up as Beyer explained why it was important to talk about the tragedy. "Everyone dies, right? And they live on in through our memories. And I want people to have a memory of them so that they live on."
The 32-year-old American journalist started wiping tears from her eyes before continuing to the next question. Even as she responded, you could tell she was choking back more tears.
Collins was already looking tearful at the start of the interview as Beyer tried to describe how the situation felt. "It feels unreal." The father described swinging between "extreme sadness" and "flat and numb."
Recalling the time he learned of their deaths, Beyer said he and his 6-year-old son were heading to the airport to pick up his wife and daughter. They apparently take these trips "all the time," so became unsettling when he noticed fire trucks rushing by. "At that point I knew something was wrong."
After receiving confirmation of the plane crash, Beyer began to sob while describing having a long cry with his son. "He let out this like, 'No!' You know? It really hurt."
What makes the situation even more heartbreaking is the fact that his figure-skating daughter survived cancer at four months old. He revealed this to ABC News while describing the love he had for his daughter. "She was just such a fighter in everything she did," Beyer said. "She just lived life to the fullest with everything."
After Collins broke down in tears during the interview, she thanked Beyer for coming on the show. "I think everyone will be really touched to hear from you, so thank you."
