'Bachelorette' Contestant Eric Hill dies in paragliding accident

ByLESLEY MESSER via Good Morning America ABCNews logo
Wednesday, April 23, 2014
eric hill
Eric Hill seen in an undated Facebook photo
wabc

NEW YORK -- One of the competitors on Andi Dorfman's season of "The Bachelorette" has died, his sister confirmed.

Eric Hill, a 31-year-old adventurer who sought to visit every country in the world in less than 1,200 days, was involved in paragliding accident Sunday that left him in a coma. He died this morning morning.

"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. Thank you to all of your love and support and prayers and fasting," Karen Tracey wrote on her Facebook page. "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."

According to reports, Hill's parachute collapsed while he was paragliding in Utah with a friend.

The California native, who called his trip around the world, "The Global Odyssey," did not seem to be filming the ABC reality series at the time of the accident.

"He gave us such a gift of a life fully lived and fully shared, and allowed us all to be a part of his last adventure here on earth. It is hard to think of life without his bright spark, but we know he is on to new adventures," Tracy added in her post. "We look forward to carrying on his legacy here and greeting him joyfully again someday. I love you so much, little brother!"