Tragedy: the death of a French player in the restricted area

The hot weather forced him to take risks

French football received a strong shock with the announcement of the death of a football player as a result of drowning in the Rhone river near Lyon. He was declared brain dead at the hospital.

French club Guingamp said in an official statement that late player Kenzo Kiss joined the team last summer and featured in the reserve team this season, describing him as a “talented player and humble young man”.

The accident happened in a restricted swimming area near Vicin Park, between Villeurbanne and Caluer-et-Cuir, when the temperature reached 38 degrees Celsius. Firefighters said they responded to reports of four youths in trouble in the river, three of whom were rescued in stable condition and the fourth in critical condition before being taken to hospital.

The newspaper revealedactu“The murdered Frenchman was recognized by 21-year-old Kenzo Kiss, who is from Lyon. The player previously represented the Saint-Etienne academy for seven years after his start in Lyon and one season with Saint-Priest in 2017-2018, and he only featured sparingly with Guingham due to recurring injuries.

The Saint Etienne club mourned their former player, saying: “Kenzo Keys’ family is going through difficult times. We send our deepest condolences and sympathies to his family…Kenzo, all Saint Etienne fans are thinking of you.”

The death comes amid a spate of drownings in the heat wave that has hit France, with Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu saying 40 people, most of them young, have drowned since June 18.

The green generation is in mourning. A resident of the Robert-Herbin Sports Center for seven years, a talented player and a reserved young man appreciated by everyone, Kenzo Keys lost his life in dramatic circumstances.

AS Saint-Etienne sends its deepest condolences… pic.twitter.com/JXqwLX65fS

— AS Saint-Étienne (@ASSEofficiel) June 24, 2026

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