Kenzo Kies, a 21-year-old former striker for Lyon and Saint-Etienne, has been declared brain dead after a drowning incident in the Rhone River. The tragedy occurred on Monday, June 22, as he was enjoying the French heatwave near the Parc de la Feyssine, an area between Villeurbanne and Caluire-et-Cuire where swimming is prohibited.
Incident Details
Emergency services were called to the scene at approximately 5:30 pm. According to local reports, four people, including Kies, were sucked into a strong current. Two individuals were pulled from the river without requiring medical attention. A third person was rescued and resuscitated before being taken to a nearby hospital in stable condition. However, Kies could not be found initially. Divers eventually recovered him from the water, but he was declared brain dead after resuscitation attempts.
Investigation and Warnings
French outlet RMC Sport reported that an investigation into the cause of death has been opened by the Lyon public prosecutor's office. The following day, French sports minister Marina Ferrari issued a warning against swimming in unsupervised areas. She stated: "Around 20 people have drowned since the start of last weekend. I urge people to respect the safety warnings. People go to swim in unsupervised areas during heatwaves, and it is not a trivial matter. I understand people want to go into the water to cool down. But they really have to stick to areas that are supervised."
