French footballer Kenzo Kies has been declared brain dead after drowning in the Rhone River near Lyon, France.
The 21-year-old winger was rushed to hospital on Monday after being caught in a strong current at the Feyssine Falls in eastern France but could not be saved despite rescue efforts.
According to local reports, emergency services were alerted to the scene at about 5:30 p.m. local time after four people, including Kies, were swept away by a powerful current in the river.
Two of the victims were reportedly rescued without requiring medical treatment, while another person was pulled from the water, resuscitated and taken to hospital in a stable condition.
Kies, however, was initially missing. Rescue divers later located and retrieved him from the water before attempting resuscitation. He was subsequently declared brain dead at the hospital.
Authorities have opened an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident, which occurred amid a severe heatwave affecting several parts of Europe.
Kies began his football career with the youth setup of Olympique Lyonnais in 2010, where he spent eight years developing through the club’s youth and reserve ranks before moving to AS Saint-Étienne.
After leaving Saint-Étienne at the expiration of his contract last summer, he joined the resDrowningerve team of Ligue 2 side En Avant Guingamp.
The tragedy comes as French authorities continue to warn residents about the dangers of swimming in unsupervised waters during the ongoing heatwave.
France’s Minister of Sports, Marina Ferrari, issued a public safety warning on Tuesday, revealing that multiple drowning incidents had been recorded in recent days.
“Around 20 people have drowned since the start of last weekend,” Ferrari said.
“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.”
The incident has sparked renewed concerns over water safety as soaring temperatures drive more people to rivers, lakes and other natural water bodies across France.
