A 21‑year‑old French soccer player died on Tuesday after he jumped into the Rhône River to cool off during a heatwave that pushed temperatures in Lyon to 104 °F (40 °C).
Heatwave's Toll
Kenzo Kies was with three friends when he entered the water near Parc de la Feyssine, a site where swimming is officially prohibited; emergency crews managed to rescue his companions, but Kies was later declared brain dead after being taken to hospital.
Kies had been playing for En Avant Guingamp in Ligue 2, and his club confirmed the tragedy, expressing condolences to his family and teammates.
The incident forms part of a disturbing trend: at least 40 drownings have been recorded across France during the heatwave, many involving young people who seek relief in unsupervised bodies of water.
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu publicly acknowledged the alarming number of drownings, urging citizens to respect official swimming bans and to stay vigilant as temperatures remain extreme.