Former Lyon and Saint-Etienne striker Kenzo Kies passed away at the age of 21 following an incident in France11:53, 25 Jun 2026Former Lyon and Saint-Etienne footballer Kenzo Kies has tragically died following a drowning incident. The 21-year-old had been declared brain-dead after an accident in the Rhone River on June 22.‌The young player had been swimming in an area near the Parc de la Feyssine, situated between Villeurbanne and Caluire-et-Cuire, as soaring temperatures hit 40C in France. Swimming is strictly prohibited in the area.‌According to local reports, four individuals - including Kies - were dragged under by a powerful current. Emergency services were called to the scene at around 5.30pm on Monday.‌JOIN US ON FACEBOOK! Latest news, analysis and much more on Mirror Football's Facebook pageKies, however, could not initially be located. Divers eventually recovered him from the river, but despite efforts to resuscitate him, he was declared brain-dead.Two of those involved were pulled to safety without requiring medical treatment, while a third was hauled from the water. They were successfully revived, and taken to a nearby hospital in a stable condition.‌Kies began his footballing journey at French giants Lyon - coming through their youth academy before making the move to Saint-Etienne.However, the promising youngster left the club when his contract ran out last summer, signing for Ligue 2 side Guingamp, where he had been turning out for their reserve side.Content cannot be displayed without consent‌AS Saint-Etienne confirmed Kies' death on Monday evening, writing 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-Etienne 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."Saint-Etienne have confirmed plans to honour Kies at the Geoffroy-Guichard Stadium next season. The French club told BBC Sport they would be planning a tribute to honour his life following his death.‌Another one of his former clubs, 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."Article continues belowJoin our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.