Explosive claims over boat crash that killed rising AFL star’s mum

Kylie Bazzo was one of four people on a boat which crashed late on Saturday night in Western Australia.

A boat that crashed in a popular Perth waterway, killing two women onboard, was allegedly moving at high speed without its lights on before the collision, according to a witness.

One of the women killed in the crash has been identified as Kylie Bazzo, the mother of West Coast Eagles player Rhett Bazzo.

The 52-year-old’s body was pulled from the Mandurah Estuary about 7pm Sunday.

Ms Bazzo was one of four people on the boat, which is believed to have hit a red post marker about 10pm Saturday about 72km south of Perth.

Kylie Bazzo (L) her daughter Kameron (C) and son Brett (R) at Kameron's 21st birthday celebration in December.

Another woman, 54-year-old Deborah Burdon, was also recovered from the water but died at the scene.

Two other men were on the vessel at the time. Ms Burdon’s husband, 47-year-old John Burdon, was taken to the Royal Perth Hospital with serious injuries, while another man, who was allegedly skippering the boat but has not been otherwise identified, was unharmed.

A witness, who identified herself only as Nicole, spoke to 6PR’s Gary Adshead on Monday morning, describing her brush with the doomed vessel and her efforts as a first responder.

Nicole had been out at a nearby festival with friends and was heading home aboard a pontoon boat when she said the boat carrying Ms Bazzo and the Burdons overtook them at speed.

“It’s only a five knot area where we were,” said Nicole, who said she believed he could have been going about eight knots. Eight knots is about 14.8kmph.

Kylie Bazzo, 52, was missing in the Mandurah Estuary for nearly 24 hours before her body was found on Sunday evening.

The witness claimed the navigation lights weren’t on.

“Within 10 seconds we heard the loudest impact. When we got there we thought they were all dead,” the witness said.

“My husband said ‘Mate, where are the women?’, and [the skipper] said ‘Nah nah we’re all on board’, and my husband said ‘No, you’re not all on board, where are the women? We need to find the women’.”

Nicole was the first one on the scene.

She shared her first-hand account with Gary Adshead. https://t.co/CSLS69XcL7

— 6PR Perth (@6PR) January 23, 2023

A massive search effort was launched following the crash, but Ms Bazzo’s body was not found until Sunday night.

WA Police are still investigating the cause of the crash and no charges have been laid.

Witnesses should call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000, or lodge a report online.

Ms Bazzo was the wife of the late Steve Bazzo, who died of cancer in 2015.

Rhett Bazzo was drafted with pick 37 in the 2021 AFL draft, playing nine games in his first season with the Eagles in 2022.

He was a legend of the Western Australian Football League (WAFL), playing 232 games for Swan Districts, West Perth, and Peel from 1988 to 2000.

Their son Rhett, 19, was drafted with pick 37 in the 2021 AFL draft, playing nine games in his first season with the Eagles in 2022.

"When something happens to someone in the football community, rivalries and everything [are put] aside."@freodockers Sam Switkowski has paid condolences on behalf of the club to @WestCoastEagles' Rhett Bazzo following the death of his mother, Kylie. #AFL#wanewspic.twitter.com/eDub3HJz1g

— 10 News First Perth (@10NewsFirstPER) January 23, 2023

The West Coast Eagles on Monday released a statement, saying the club was devastated by the accident and calling for privacy for the Bazzo family.

“The club’s players, staff and Board extend their deepest condolences to the Bazzo family and are offering every support to Rhett, his sister Kameron and their loved ones,” the statement said.

“The club asks that the privacy of Rhett and his family is respected during this extremely difficult time.”

Meanwhile, Fremantle Dockers forward Sam Switkowski has paid tribute to the families of the victims.

“Rivalries and everything aside, our deepest condolences and we hope [Rhett] and his family are doing all right,” said Mr Switkowski in a media conference on Monday.

“Terrible tragedy and it’s had a big impact on a lot of people.”