It was too hot. That is how it starts. Kenzo Kies, a 21-year-old French footballer with his whole career ahead of him, drowned in the Rhone river this week. He was just trying to cool down.
The mercury in France has been pushing a brutal 40C. Kies and three friends jumped into the water near Lyon on Monday, desperate for relief. It went wrong. Fast. While emergency services managed to pull his three companions to safety, Kies was not so lucky. Firefighters eventually dragged him out in critical condition. He died later in a hospital bed.
He is not the only one. France is baking, and people are dying. Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu recently confirmed that forty people have drowned in heatwave-related incidents since last Thursday alone. It is a grim statistic. Kies is now just another number on that list.
Before his death, Kies was trying to make it in the professional ranks. He spent seven years in the youth system at Saint-Etienne and also spent time at Lyon before signing with Ligue 2 side Guingamp last year, where he played for the reserves.
The clubs are mourning. Guingamp expressed their deep sorrow on social media, offering support to his grieving family. Saint-Etienne released a poignant statement remembering him as a talented, quiet young man who would never be forgotten in the corridors of their training ground. They are already planning a tribute for him at the Geoffroy-Guichard Stadium when the new season kicks off. But tributes do not bring back a 21-year-old.
