Eric Hill 'Bachelorette' tribute on Andi Dorfman season

Andi Dorfman says this season of "The Bachelorette" is dedicated to Eric Hill, who died shortly after he was sent home from the show.

The Citrus Heights, California, native was paragliding in Utah when his parachute collapsed and he crashed into the side of a mountain.

"We want viewers to know Eric was an amazing guy who really lived life to the fullest," Dorfman said. "That's the message we really want to send to viewers. It's a sad thing, and we also want to honor him because he had an amazing life and that should be seen by America."

His death came as a shock to the fans of "The Bachelorette." But it's been devastating to his California family.

It is hard to imagine how difficult it would be to see your loved one on a nationally-televised show just weeks after he passed away. Dana Hill says her third child, second son Eric, always wanted big experiences.

"Always full of the next adventure, the next challenge and always pushing the limits a little bit," she said.

Growing up in Citrus Heights with four brothers and a sister, his mom says Eric was the ringleader, pulling his siblings into his adventures, whether it be a long bike ride through Del Paso Heights or later in life, a trip along the Trans Siberian Railroad.

"He always took a brother along with him whenever he could," Dana Hill said.

He was living that full life, traveling around the world before taking a break to do "The Bachelorette."

"It was a little interim thing, he told us it was a good thing for him to do. It's not something I would've encouraged him to do, but he did it," Dana Hill said.

Handsome and charming and adventurous, the one thing his mom says he wasn't is a daredevil.

"You'd see him pack his parachute, everything was perfectly done. He was careful, he wasn't taking crazy risks. He was really out there for an adventure and to have fun," she said.

It was in April, in Draper, Utah, where Eric's parachute partially collapsed during paragliding and swung him into the hillside. He was wearing a helmet but he hit with such force that he succumbed to his injuries at the hospital. After Eric's death, Dana says ABC reached out and has treated the family with respect in the weeks before "The Bachelorette" season began.

"They've been great to us, so it's been really great. Eric would want us to see it. He likes us to watch him," Dana Hill said.

Dana and her family say they will watch and are thankful for the notes, prayers and good thoughts from people around the world.

"We absolutely loved that boy, and he is gone. He'll be greatly missed, but we, I think the overriding thing for us is that we are well grounded in our faith, and we know we'll see him again. That is a great comfort," she said.

Eric will be on at least one more episode of "The Bachelorette" when he has the first date with Dorfman next week.

Dorfman dropped out of the competition last season on "The Bachelor," saying suitor Juan Pablo Galavis seemed too self-centered and disrespectful, earning her support from viewers and ultimately the spot of ABC's newest "Bachelorette."

In an interview before her season of "The Bachelorette" premiered Monday night, Dorfman said she's "definitely glad" she's on the show, but added the process is difficult and makes her understand what Galavis went through.

"I finally was able kind of to put myself in his shoes and you know it's not as easy as it seems," she said in the recent interview. "It's not as glamorous as it comes off on TV, so I've definitely seen a different side to it and put myself in his shoes."

The 26-year-old says "it's tough to say 'no' to people. It's tough to feel responsible for 25 guys and know what they have done to get to where they are and put themselves on the line and be, you know, respectful of that and it's hard. It's very hard to hurt people, especially when they're great, genuine guys."

She says viewers who may be cynical should know there's more to the dates than what is aired.

"These dates that you might see last 10 minutes are sometimes actually lasting 10 hours, and there is a lot of time that you really, really get to know these people, and the guys this season were so open and honest and told me about their past and their fears and really got in depth and I think that allows for that love to happen. It's beyond what viewers see a lot of times."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.