Lahaina boat captains win $1.1M on NBC’s ‘The Wall’

LAHAINA (HawaiiNewsNow) – Two Lahaina boat captains who were honored by the U.S. Coast Guard for rescuing more than 40 people during the 2023 Maui fires have won $1.1 million on NBC’s game show “The Wall.”

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Chrissy Lovitt and Emma Nelson, married co-owners of Maui Ocean Adventures, said they were skeptical when NBC contacted them shortly after the disaster.

“I just was like, ‘I’m not climbing up a wall,’” said Lovitt.

“She was like, ‘Is this ninja warrior? I can’t do that. I haven’t trained. I’m not emotionally ready. I’m not physically ready,’” Nelson said.

“They’re like, ‘No, this could change your life. Just talk to us,’” Lovitt said.

The couple had launched Maui Ocean Adventures just two weeks before the inferno.

They were in Lahaina Harbor the day the beloved town burned and were later recognized by the Coast Guard for pulling more than 40 adults and children from the water.

They took a chance and said yes to appearing on “The Wall” — a show they knew nothing about — and walked away with the seven-figure prize.

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“We’ve been through so, so much and we know what it’s like to lose everything. But we’re not losing everything tonight because we’re going home with $1.1 million dollars!!” Nelson told Lovitt on the show.

Lovitt said the money will help them rebuild and give back.

“This money will allow us to pay down some debt, and also we’d like to use it, some of it for good and see what we can do for the community,” she said.

Even before their winnings, the couple had been offering fellow fire survivors free whale watching tours.

“Seeing people rebuild and move forward, it inspired us, and I hope that we can also inspire people to move forward,” Lovitt said.

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