Pro Surfer Learned His Brother Died Right Before Major Competition

SYDNEY (AP) - Mick Fanning, who survived a shark attack in South Africa in July , decided to keep competing at the Pipeline Masters in Hawaii to pursue his fourth world surfing title despite learning of the death of his brother on Wednesday.

Before entering the water for competition, Fanning was told his 43-year-old brother, Peter, had died back in Australia.

Fanning, 34, says "it's kind of heavy to talk about right now." He won his next two heats to reach the quarterfinals.

No cause of death was given for Peter Fanning. Another brother, Sean, was killed in a car accident in 1998.

A YouTube video of Mick Fanning fighting off a shark while competing at the J-Bay Open at Jeffreys Bay, South Africa, has been viewed more than 22 million times.

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