A heartwarming moment shared between two contestants in latest episode of “Survivor” transcended the famously fierce competition and brought host Jeff Probst to tears.

In Wednesday’s episode, a challenging immunity competition among tribes left contestant Eva, who has autism, feeling under duress. After finishing her task and earning her tribe immunity, saving them from having to go to Tribal Council and voting out one of their own, her team members were ecstatic and began celebrating. Amid the joy, it became evident that Eva was struggling, seemingly triggered by a combination of factors, and she began to have what she later described as “an episode.”

She had known this could happen.

Eva had previously confided in her then-teammate Joe, who was with a different group during the aforementioned competition, that she had autism and would possibly need support from him at one point during the game and be unable to voice her need.

During the “episodes,” she explained to him at the time, she often needs help getting grounded after being overstimulated.

“Things to look out for is that if you see that I start messing with my hands or squeezing myself – seeming like I’m not being me,” she explained to him.

He asked how he can help her during those moments, and she told him squeezing her hands often helps, as well as positive, grounding language. Joe said he was “honored” that she’d trusted him with this information and promised he’d show up for her.

On Wednesday’s episode, he kept his promise.

Amid the celebration, Eva began squeezing herself, and Joe appeared to take note. He briefly looked around, almost silently asking permission to help her, since teams are usually kept separate after challenges. Noticing this, host Jeff Probst asked Joe if he wanted to give Eva a hug, and Joe immediately took the opportunity.

He hurriedly walked over to Eva, who was breathing rapidly, and before they embraced, she nodded her head in thanks.

“Deep breaths, remember?” he whispered to her.

After a few breaths, she asked if he could squeeze her hands, and he obliged.

“Thank you, thank you,” she said, as her breaths evened.

“You’re in a safe place,” he said, giving her a smile.

Autism is a developmental disability that affects everyone who has it a little differently. In Eva’s case, she told Probst and the whole group later, she was diagnosed very young and her parents were told she’d never live independently or hold a job.

“My parents, they did not give up on me,” she said. “I’ve never viewed my autism as a roadblock to success. It’s not something to work around, it’s just part of who I am. There’s nothing bad about it.”

She asked her fellow contestants to see the moment outside of the game because “everyone with autism should not be ashamed to ask for help or ashamed to receive it.”

In terms of gameplay, the moment does put both Joe and Eva in a vulnerable position, as their close bond – with Joe being the first and until this episode only person to know about her autism – was revealed to everyone else.

Joe told Probst he didn’t care because he knows his kids are watching and he’s going to be “the man I want them to be, the people I want them to be, regardless of this game.”

“I would want someone to treat my daughter that way if they were playing this game,” he said.

Probst connected to this sentiment later, choking up as he thanked Eva for sharing her story.

“I’m a parent, too,” he said, tearing up as he tried to share a thought. “Wow, this has never happened.”

“I see it, too,” he said, referring to the moment being bigger than the game, “and it’s why I love ‘Survivor’”

Speaking to Entertainment Weekly about the moment, Probst called it “one of the most intense and beautiful displays of saying ‘I got you’ that I have ever seen.”

He added that his rare show of emotion came from a very personal place.

“My tears came from that overwhelming mix of emotions every parent knows — fear, joy, worry, hope — all tangled up at once,” he said. “This is one of those Survivor moments I will never forget.”