Former 'Bachelor' Contestants Pay Respects To Hill

After the tragic death of Bachelorette contestant Eric Hill on Wednesday, those close to the show have spoken out and given their condolences. Eric Hill was remembered by Bachelorette producers, former contestants from both The Bachelor and Bachelorette, and host Chris Harrison. Hill, who was a contestant on Andi Dorfman's currently-filming season of The Bachelorette, died after a paragliding accident which took place on Sunday in Utah. Following the accident, Hill was considered to be in critical condition and was put into a medically induced coma. Hill passed away on Wednesday and his sister shared the news on Facebook. Hill had already been eliminated from the show at the time of the accident.

The Bachelor / Bachelorette producers released a statement on Wednesday following Hill's death which reads,

We are deeply saddened to hear about the tragic passing of our friend, Eric Hill. Eric inspired us every day with his passion, his courage and his adventurous spirit, and for that we are very thankful. On behalf of our cast, crew and producers, we send our love, our thoughts and our prayers to Eric’s family during this difficult time.

As for the "adventurous spirit" mentioned, Hill was in the middle of an attempt to visit all 195 U.N. recognized countries in record time. His journey, called Go With Eric, The Global Odyssey, was being filmed for a documentary and Hill kept records of his experience on Facebook and his website.

Host Chris Harrison spoke to E! News about Hill saying, "We're all extremely saddened by this news. We enjoyed our time with Eric on the show. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends at this difficult time. He will be missed." Former Bachelorette contestant Brooks Forester, who appeared on Desiree Hartsock's season in 2013, also spoke with E! News and said, "He was always on an adventure, always looking to build memories and meet new friends along the way. I'll miss having the opportunity to go on those adventures with him."

A number of other former contestants spoke out on Twitter to pay their respects to Hill:

For more information on Eric Hill and his worldwide journey, check out The Global Odyssey's website.

Image: Eric Hill/Facebook