‘Bachelorette’ Contestant Dies After Paragliding Accident

Eric Hill, a contestant on the upcoming season of ABC’s dating reality series “The Bachelorette,” died Wednesday after being critically injured in a paragliding accident on April 20.

Hill’s sister Karen Tracy released the news via an announcement on her Facebook page and wrote, “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.”

The 32-year-old suffered serious injuries after his parachute collapsed near Point of the Mountain in Utah, where he was paragliding with friends.

According to a KUTV report, United Fire Authority Battalion Chief Brian Anderton said Hill’s canopy collapsed 15 to 20 feet from land, causing him to crash into the mountainside.

“He experienced a partial parachute collapse, which swung him into the mountainside with some velocity,” Anderton told KUTV. “It doesn’t seem like he fell an extremely long distance, but the velocity that he went into the hillside was enough to cause some trauma.”

The upcoming season of ABC’s “The Bachelorette” premieres May 19.

Hill was transported via medical helicopter to the University of Utah hospital in critical condition and with possible head trauma. He remained in a medically induced coma until Wednesday.

The rough spring air and resulting turbulent conditions appear to be the causes of the fatal accident.

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