Australian surfing legend Mick Fanning has been dealt another tragic blow in a life full of incredible and devastating highs and lows.
The three-time world champion has three older brothers, all of whom have died and the shocking news that his brother Edward has passed away was revealed on Tuesday.
Edward Fanning, aged in his 40s, is believed to have been living and working at a surf camp in Madagascar.
Edward’s best friend, Coolangatta bodyboarder Stevie Maher, took to Facebook to relay the devastating news.
Mick Fanning was dealt another tragic blow with the news of his brother Edward’s death.
Edward (pictured left with his brother Mick), who was in his 40s, had been working at a surf camp in Madagascar.
“Firstly, I want to send my condolences to the Fanning family… mom Liz, dad John, sister Rachel and brother Mick,” Maher posted.
Mick Fanning has not commented on the devastating news, which comes after he lost his other brothers Sean and Peter in tragic circumstances.
He was with Sean when he died in a car accident in Coolangatta in 1998, and the loss spurred him to realize their shared dream of participating in professional surfing’s world tour.
‘Sean was only 20 when he died… We were at a party together but we broke up. “I walked home…Sean got in a car with friends,” he said. Men’s health magazine in 2021.
‘On the way home the police picked me up and told me Sean was gone. I was overwhelmed by the news and had to tell the family.
Mick Fanning (left) is pictured with his older brother Sean, who died in a car accident in 1998.
‘I locked myself in my room and didn’t leave it for a week.
‘When I finally recovered, my motivation to achieve my goals skyrocketed. I wanted to honor my brother by fulfilling our dream.’
Mick also revealed that he paid tribute to Sean by carving his initials into the wax of his surfboard every time he paddled out into the waves.
It’s a ritual he continued as he lived up to their shared dream, going from being a wild card in the Bells Beach competition in 2001 to being crowned world champion in 2007, 2009 and 2013, and being named Australian Male Surfer of the Year. six times.
He was riding high in 2015, not knowing he was about to make headlines as he had arguably the most incredible escape in the history of the sport.
The three-time world champion battled a great white shark while competing in South Africa in July 2015 (pictured).
The shark attack left Fanning with post-traumatic stress disorder and recurring nightmares.
That July he was competing in the final of the J-Bay Open in South Africa when he was attacked by a massive great white shark.
Footage released by the World Surf League (WSL) showed the shark’s fin emerging from the water before following Fanning as he paddled out of the shallow water.
Fanning can be seen being knocked off his board before attempting to use it as a shield to prevent the shark from biting him.
The clip ends with officials loading him into a rescue boat and taking him back to shore.
Speaking afterwards, Fanning, who was miraculously uninjured and only lost a leg rope in the incident, said: “It came up and got stuck in my leg rope.”
‘I instantly just jumped away. She kept coming at my board and I was kicking and screaming.
‘I just saw fins. I punched him in the back.
The experience, which was watched by thousands of horrified viewers on live television, left Fanning with post-traumatic stress disorder and recurring nightmares for years to come.
It was later that year, just before competing in the Pipeline Masters, that Fanning heard the tragic news that her older brother, Peter, had died from an enlarged heart.
Fanning appears as a baby held by her sister Rachel, with her mother Elizabeth and her three older brothers, Sean, Edward and Peter.
Fanning (pictured bottom center) took to Instagram and shared an old family photo of himself alongside his brothers Peter, Edward and Sean after learning of Peter’s death just hours before bravely competing in Hawaii in December 2015. .
The 42-year-old is pictured about to paddle out in Hawaii just hours after learning his brother Peter had died from an enlarged heart in December 2015.
‘That was the one that floored me. I was like “what else?” What else can you do in a year? ‘At the end of 2015, I hit rock bottom,’ he told 60 Minutes.
Fanning went on to explain the “emptiness” she felt for the next 18 months.
‘I felt like I had nothing to give, nothing to give to myself, or the people around me, or my family or friends. I just didn’t see a way back,” he said.
“I had never felt so empty before, I just lay in bed, did nothing, didn’t leave the house.”
The following year, in early 2016, Fanning would separate from his ex-wife Karissa Dalton after seven years of marriage.
That same year, Fanning would help establish Balter Brewery at Currumbin on the Gold Coast with fellow surfer Joel Parkinson and other mates.
The craft beer was a huge success and was acquired by Carlton & United Breweries in a surprise acquisition in 2019 for between $150 million and $200 million.
Fanning split from her former swimsuit model turned businesswoman wife Karissa in 2016.
The surfing icon delighted his fans in 2023 with the news that he and partner Breeana Randall (pictured with son Xander) are expecting their second child.
Fanning’s investment in the business netted him a $4 million windfall, but it’s just a small portion of his other business ventures, which include a large portfolio of properties, loyal sponsors and other projects.
In 2020, Fanning welcomed his first child, Xander Dean Fanning, with his new fiancée Breeana Randall.
The beloved couple went public with their relationship in late November 2017.
The surfing legend told 60 Minutes that the birth of his son had given him a new lease on life.
“The love and care you can give to a human being is wild, mind-blowing,” he said.
‘I’ve lived a really great life, but the number one thing for me now is family.
‘Right now I am very happy and happy to be home and do the dad thing.
“Watching Xander grow and relearn life through his eyes is just amazing.”
In December 2023, Fanning announced that he and his partner Breeana Randall were expecting their second child.