Edward Fanning death: New details emerge on shock death of Mick Fanning’s brother

Kirra Surfriders Club has posted a heartbreaking tribute to Edward Fanning and revealed new details about how the beloved surfer lost his life overseas.

New details have emerged about the shock sudden death of Gold Coast surfing legend Mick Fanning’s last surviving brother.

Ed Fanning, 48, became Mick’s third brother to die prematurely when he passed away this week in Madagascar where he was living and working as a surf guide.

Mick, a triple world surfing champion turned multi-millionaire businessman, posted a moving Instagram tribute to his older brother, saying: “You introduced us all to surfing, the joy and freedom of riding a wave. The meaning of going to the ends of the earth to find waves ….”

Mick Fanning ‘s older brother Edward died in Madagascar after a cut to his foot got infected. Picture: Tim Pascoe

Kirra Surfriders Club, of which both Fanning brothers were members, posted an explanation of what happened to Ed on its Facebook page.

“It’s with a very sad and heavy heart that we say goodbye to one of our great and beloved KSC members, Ed Fanning,” the club wrote.

“As many of you know, Ed had been living and working in Madagascar since Covid and loved the place so much he took citizenship over there.

“Ed received a cut to his foot which unfortunately got severely infected to the point he had to be rushed by boat to the nearest major city an hour away, to be in hospital.

“The hospital did everything they could to help Ed but the infection was too strong and Ed’s heart gave away.

“Our biggest condolences go out to the whole Fanning family in this very difficult time.”

Edward Fanning, pictured with Mick.

The club said another Kirra member, Blair Rodgers, was at Ed’s side throughout the ordeal and had been a “massive help” to the Fanning family.

Mick was only 17 when another brother Sean, 20, was killed alongside fellow talented local surfer Joel Green in a car crash at Coolangatta in 1998 in a tragedy that helped forge Fanning’s steely resolve.

His other brother, Peter, 43, died in his sleep from a medical condition as Fanning was duelling for a fourth world title in Hawaii in 2015 - the same year Mick was divorced and famously fought off a shark during the final of the Jeffrey’s Bay Open in South Africa.

He later told 60 Minutes that he had hit “rock bottom”.

“I was like ‘what else? What else can be taken in a year?’” he said at the time.