French soccer player Kenzo Kies died as a result of drowning in the Rhone River. Kies, 21, who played for Ligue 2 side Guingamp, was in a critical condition when firefighters pulled him from the water on Monday. He was in a coma for several days, then lost his fight for life.
28.06.2026 13:58
Kies and his three friends entered a river near Lyon to escape the sweltering heat in France, where temperatures have reached 40 degrees Celsius in parts of the country this week.
Emergency services pulled three people to safety, but Kies was the last to be found.
Since last Thursday, forty people have drowned in France due to the heat.
Kies was part of the youth teams at Lyon and Saint-Etienne before joining Guingamp last year where he played in the reserve team.
Guingamp paid tribute to Kies on the X social network. “Guingamp feels great sadness after learning of the death of Kenzo Kies.”
The club said it would offer its full support to Kies’ family during this painful ordeal.
“Saint-Etienne extends its deepest condolences to his loved ones, as well as to his teammates and coaches who shared part of his journey with him. Kenzo, we will never forget you.”
Saint-Etienne told BBC Sport that they plan to pay tribute to Kies at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard at the start of next season.
