Eric Hill, a contestant on the upcoming season of "The Bachelorette," has died after a paragliding accident on Sunday, Apr. 20, US Weekly reports. His sister, Karen Tracy, announced the news on her Facebook page on Wednesday, Apr. 23.
"Eric shared his final journey with us this morning as all his immediate family were able to be at his side when he passed away," Tracy wrote. "Thank you to all of your love and support and prayers and fasting. It was amazing to be with so many of his friends and family yesterday in the hospital who came to express their love for Eric."
"He gave us such a gift of life fully lived and fully shared, and allowed us all to be a part of his last adventure here on earth," she continued. "It is hard to think of life without his bright spark, but we know he is on to new adventures. We look forward to carrying on his legacy here and greeting him joyfully again someday. I love you so much, little brother!"
Hill was one of the contestants on the upcoming season of ABC's "The Bachelorette" with Andi Dorfman. According to Reality Steve, Hill had already finished taping the dating show; reportedly he had been eliminated.
The show is still taping and ABC has not released a statement. The 30-year-old was hospitalized and in critical condition after his parachute collapsed while he was paragliding in Utah, US Weekly reports. A rescue team arrived on the scene and Hill was airlifted to a local hospital, where he remained in a medically induced coma until Wednesday.
Before signing on as a "Bachelorette" contestant, Hill had been documenting his journey to visit all 195 countries recognized by the United Nations by 2016. He was keeping his family and friends updated on his progress on his website, GO With Eric: The Global Odyssey. In the first year he had visited over 50 countries.
