Kenzo Kies, a former Lyon and Saint-Etienne striker, was declared brain dead after an incident in the Rhone River – today AS Saint-Étienne have announced he has now died
Former Lyon and Saint-Etienne footballer, Kenzo Kies has died after a drowning tragedy. The 21-year-old had been declared brain dead following an incident in the Rhone River.
The footballer had been basking in the French heatwave near the Parc de la Feyssine, between Villeurbanne and Caluire-et-Cuire, where swimming is forbidden. Emergency services were alerted to the situation around 5:30pm on Monday.
Local reports suggest that four individuals, including Kies, were swept away by a powerful current. It’s reported that two people were rescued from the river without needing medical assistance, while a third was pulled from the water, resuscitated, and transported to a nearby hospital in a stable condition.
However, initially, Kies could not be located. Divers eventually managed to retrieve him from the water, but he was declared brain dead following attempts to resuscitate him.
Tonight AS Saint-Étienne have announced he has since died. They posted 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.
“AS Saint-Étienne extends its most sincere condolences to his loved ones as well as to those—teammates and coaches alike—who shared a piece of his Stéphanois journey. Kenzo, in the corridors of L’Étrat, no one will ever forget you.”
En Avant Guingamp posted: “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.
“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 had begun his football journey at French powerhouse Lyon – progressing through their youth system before switching to AS Saint-Etienne.
Yet the prospect departed their setup when his deal expired last summer. He transferred to Ligue 2 outfit En Avant Guingamp, where he had been featuring for their second string.