Former Lyon and Saint-Étienne footballer Kenzo Kies has died after being swept away while swimming in the Rhone River during a heatwave. The 21-year-old was declared brain dead following the incident on Monday, and AS Saint-Étienne confirmed his death on Tuesday.
Incident Details
Kies was cooling off near the Parc de la Feyssine, between Villeurbanne and Caluire-et-Cuire, where swimming is forbidden. Emergency services were alerted around 5:30pm on Monday. Local reports indicate that four individuals, including Kies, were swept away by a powerful current. Two people were rescued without needing medical assistance, while a third was pulled from the water, resuscitated, and taken to a nearby hospital in stable condition.
Search and Rescue
Initially, Kies could not be located. Divers eventually retrieved him from the water, but attempts to resuscitate him failed, and he was declared brain dead. AS Saint-Étienne later announced his death, posting on X: "The Green Generation is in mourning. A resident of the Robert-Herbin Sports Center for seven years, a talented player and discreet young man appreciated by all, Kenzo Kies has lost his life in dramatic circumstances."
Tributes and Career
En Avant Guingamp, where Kies had been playing for the reserve team after joining last summer, also paid tribute: "En Avant Guingamp has had the sorrow of learning of the death of Kenzo Kies, a young player with the Club. A Guingamp native since last summer, he was playing this season with the reserve team." Kies began his career at Lyon's youth academy before moving to Saint-Étienne and then Guingamp.
