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'The Bachelorette' Contestant With Citrus Heights Roots Dies In Paragliding Accident

CITRUS HEIGHTS (CBS13) — A man with roots in Citrus Heights who was set to appear on the upcoming season of "The Bachelorette" died after a paragliding accident in Salt Lake City.

Pictures of Eric Hill show he had a contagious smile and an undeniable passion for life and adventure.

"He lived life to the fullest," said neighbor Dennis Harvey. "He made a lot of friends, and he helped a ton of people."

Hill died on Wednesday after being in a coma following a paragliding accident in Salt Lake City. His mother shared a photo of him on her Facebook page with a heartfelt message:

"Our son Eric passed away early this morning in the presence of his loving family. Oh, how we love him! How much he will be missed!"

The weekend accident left Hill with massive head injuries.

"A wind came up or a gust and took the sail or something and knocked him into a mountainside," Harvey said. "He had a helmet on and everything. He did the right things, but it was too much of a blunt force."

Hill was set to be a contestant on the upcoming season of "The Bachelorette."

Harvey says Hill graduated from Del Campo High School, and has always loved extreme sports.

Hill was also filming a documentary where he was attempting to travel to every country in the world in 1,200 days.

"Every country he went to, my understanding is he helped them build schools, helped them build churches,"

"I'd like to think there's love, even in the most violent places, and that's what we get to show all over the world," he said in a documentary.

Neighbors tell CBS13 his family is currently in Utah, where they are making plans for his funeral.

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