Guingamp reserve player Kenzo Kies, 21, drowns in Rhone River during France's record heatwave

Kenzo Kies, a 21-year-old footballer who played for Guingamp’s reserve team, died on Wednesday after drowning in the Rhone River near Lyon, as France endured the most extreme heatwave in its recorded history.

Kies was rescued from a prohibited swimming area on Monday in critical condition and was subsequently declared brain dead. Both Guingamp and Saint-Etienne, where he had spent seven years in the academy system, issued tributes following his passing.

His death is one of at least 40 drowning fatalities reported across France in the past week alone, as people seek relief from temperatures that have broken national records on consecutive days. The national thermal indicator — an average drawn from 30 weather stations — reached a new high of 30C on Wednesday, with some areas including Paris exceeding 40C. French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu noted on Tuesday that most of the victims were young people, despite repeated official warnings against unsupervised swimming in rivers and other bodies of water.

The heatwave has extended beyond France’s borders. The United Kingdom recorded its hottest ever June day on Wednesday, with the benchmark broken four times during the afternoon. The Met Office confirmed a peak of 36.1C in Gosport, Hampshire, surpassing a previous record of 35.6C that had stood since 1976. Several horse racing fixtures were abandoned in England as a result of the conditions.