Soccer Star Kenzo Kies Dead at 21 After Drowning Incident During Heatwave
French soccer star Kenzo Kiesdied in a hospital on Monday, June 22, after first responders removed him from the Rhône river near Lyon. He was 21.
Kies, a member of French Ligue 2 club En Avant Guingamp, died by drowning after he entered the river along with three friends to find relief from a blistering heat wave that has made its way through France. Temperatures around the country have soared well over 100 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the BBC.
"Guingamp has had the sorrow of learning of the death of Kenzo Kies, a young player with the club," the organization said in a statement via X. "A Guingamp native since last summer, he was playing this season with the reserve team."
The statement continued, "En Avant Guingamp extends its most sincere condolences to Kenzo Kies's family as well as to all his loved ones, and offers them its full support during this painful ordeal."
Kies played youth soccer for Lyon and Saint-Étienne before joining Guingamp as a reserve last year.
"The Green Generation is in mourning," Saint-Étienne wrote in a statement via X. "A resident of the Robert-Herbin Sports Centre for seven years, a talented player and discreet young man, appreciated by all, Kenzo Kies has lost his life in dramatic circumstances."
The statement continued, "Saint-Etienne extends its most sincere condolences to his loved ones as well as to those - teammates and coaches alike - who shared a piece of his journey. Kenzo, in the corridors of L'Etrat, no one will ever forget you."
Kies is far from the only one to die by drowning in France during the heat wave. French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said 40 people have drowned in the last week alone, calling it "a tragic scourge," according to the Guardian. He added that the deaths have been "mostly" young people.
"We're experiencing an episode of exceptional intensity," Lecornu, 40, said. "Every day and every night, local and national temperature records are being broken."
"It's not something to be taken lightly, going swimming in unsupervised areas during a heatwave," Sports and Youth Minister Marina Ferrari told French radio, per the BBC.
Cities around France have recorded record temperatures, including Pissos, where the temperature climbed to 112 degrees on Tuesday, June 23, the hottest day France has on record.
The heat wave has also forced iconic Paris landmarks like the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre to shorten their hours. The Eiffel Tower closed on Tuesday at 4 p.m. local time, more than eight hours early.
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This story was originally published June 25, 2026 at 12:21 PM.