The body of a 52-year-old woman has been recovered from the Mandurah Estuary, south of Perth, with a boat crash on Saturday night claiming a second life.
Police were called to the estuary around 10pm after the boat carrying four people hit a red channel marker.
A 54-year-old woman, Debbie Burdon, was injured in the crash and could not be revived, while a search was launched for another passenger, Kylie Bazzo, who was thrown overboard.
Water police found her body near Creery Island in the Mandurah Estuary about 7pm last night.
Ms Bazzo was the mother of West Coast Eagles youngster Rhett Bazzo, 19, who was drafted with pick 37 in the 2021 national AFL draft and played nine games last year in his first season with the club.
He and his sister Kameron lost their father, Swan Districts great Steve Bazzo, to cancer in 2015.
In a statement, the West Coast Eagles said the club was "devastated" by the death of Ms Bazzo.
"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 club asks that the privacy of Rhett and his family is respected during this extremely difficult time."
Tributes flow for 'top-shelf mother'
Friends took to social media to pass on their condolences to Ms Bazzo's family.
The Peel Thunder Football Club said it was "deeply saddened" by the death of Ms Bazzo, who served as the club's marketing manager, before being appointed chief executive in 2000, making her the first-ever female chief executive in the WAFL.
"The Bazzo family connection is etched into Peel Thunder history, with Steve an inaugural Thunder player in 1997 and later awarded life membership in 2008," the club posted on Facebook.
"On behalf of the Club, we send our love to all family and friends of Kylie Bazzo."
A family friend said he was shocked and saddened by the "tragic" death of a "top-shelf mother", which had rippled through the football and netball communities in Perth.
Since the death of Steve Bazzo, he said Ms Bazzo had "stepped up" to look after Rhett and his sister Kameron, who had excelled in netball.
"The Bazzo family's contribution to junior football, senior netball and senior footy, at south Mandurah, has been huge, he said.
"'To Steve, your beautiful wife did a brilliant job raising your kids to be magnificent young adults.
"To Kylie, it was parenting 101 with all the hurt you carried, guiding Kam and Rhett through the grief, but at the same time making sure they got on with living. You're a legendary mother and person.
"A wife reunites with her soulmate, and love of her life, but leaves behind the two kids she absolutely adored."
People also paid their respects to Ms Burdon's family.
"Condolences to both families, so tragic," an ABC Perth reader wrote on Facebook.
"RIP to both these ladies. So heartbreaking for their children and families," another one wrote.
Safety improvements in the works
Authorities have urged skippers to always be aware of their surroundings to avoid any collisions.
"We have a catchphrase, 'you're the skipper, you're responsible'," the Department of Transport's Laurie Adams said.
"When you're on the water and you're operating a vessel, you've got to maintain a constant lookout and be aware there are other things on the water — that can be markers, that can be other boats, that can be swimmers, they can be paddlers."
Mr Adams said markers were used as a safety precaution to mark the sides of channels and identify "where the safe waterways are".
He said the department plans to bring in safety equipment changes, including making life jackets compulsory on smaller vessels.
"Our legislation is quite old, and with the changes to vessel design, improvements in technology and safety, the department went back over the last five years and has reviewed all that and then come up with these new changes," he said.
"From our perspective, the new regime in regards to safety is actually better than what we've got so we're making our water safer."
Driver of boat in hospital
A 47-year-old man who was believed to be driving the boat was taken to Royal Perth Hospital with serious injuries after the crash, and he remains in a stable condition.
The fourth person on the boat, a 54-year-old man, was uninjured.
WA Police Acting Superintendent Peter Morrissey said on Sunday police were looking into what caused the 5.5-metre boat to hit the marker.
"The speed and all the circumstances surrounding the crash will be at the forefront of the investigation," he said.
"It is way too early at this stage to determine any sort of criminality or any sort of responsibility for this."
