Kenzo Kies 21 drowns in Rhône during French heatwave

A 21-year-old French soccer player has died after drowning in the Rhône River near Lyon, a tragedy that occurred during a severe and record-breaking heatwave across France. Kenzo Kies, a reserve player for the Ligue 2 club En Avant Guingamp, was swimming with friends on Monday afternoon in a prohibited area of the river at Feyssine Park, located between Villeurbanne and Caluire-et-Cuire.

Emergency services were alerted around 5:30 p.m. on Monday after Kies and three others were caught in a strong current. Two individuals were rescued without needing medical treatment, and a third was resuscitated and taken to a hospital in stable condition. Kies was initially missing before divers located and pulled him from the water. He was transported to a hospital in critical condition and was later declared brain dead. His death was confirmed by his former and current clubs on Wednesday.

The Lyon prosecutor's office has opened an investigation into the circumstances of his death, assigning it to the Rhône interdepartmental police directorate.

Kies was a native of Lyon and had deep roots in the region's soccer community. He progressed through the youth academies of FC Lyon, Olympique...