‘I turned back to get her ‘: Metz’s Tahirys Dos Santos and girlfriend make first public appearance after surviving Swiss nightclub fire

FC Metz defender Tahirys Dos Santos and his girlfriend, Coline Lanseigne, stepped out together for the first time this week since surviving the devastating New Year’s Eve fire in the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana that claimed 41 lives .

The couple appeared at the UNFP Trophies ceremony in Paris on Monday night, where the 19-year-old footballer — who ran back into the flames to rescue his partner — received a standing ovation .

Dos Santos, who suffered burns to 30 percent of his body in the January 1 blaze at the Le Constellation nightclub, signed his first professional contract with Metz last month and returned to competitive action on April 11 . Ms. Lanseigne, 22, spent three weeks in a coma in a Belgian hospital and underwent three skin grafts .

‘I didn’t think — I turned back’

The fire broke out around 1:30 a.m. on New Year’s Day after a flaming champagne bottle — part of a party gimmick — was raised too close to the venue’s low wooden ceiling, according to witness accounts . The blaze triggered a rapid flashover, trapping dozens of revellers in the packed basement with only a single staircase for escape.

Dos Santos had already escaped when he realised Ms. Lanseigne was still inside.

“I didn’t think — I turned back to get her,” he told L’Equipe newspaper in February . “I shouted her name, and she immediately saw in my eyes that something was wrong. She followed me right away.”

The couple became separated in the ensuing panic. Dos Santos was airlifted to a hospital in Germany, while Ms. Lanseigne was evacuated to a specialist burns centre in Antwerp, Belgium .

‘Today, it’s better’

On Monday, Ms. Lanseigne walked the red carpet in a long black dress, choosing to leave her arms bare — visibly displaying the scars of her burns .

“Today, it’s better — my girlfriend and I, after very difficult weeks in hospital,” Dos Santos told the audience, according to Le Parisien . “We are very happy to be standing here in front of you.”

He added a message for other victims and their families: “I want to send all my support to the families and all the victims who are still in hospital.”

Ms. Lanseigne, a communications student whose studies have been interrupted by her recovery, said: “It was a very difficult ordeal that has left lasting effects on my health. For now, I am not focusing on the future — I am focusing on my health” .

From hospital bed to professional contract

Dos Santos, a left-back who joined Metz’s academy at age eight and captained the reserve side, had been due to return to training on the day of the fire .

Instead, he spent months in recovery, undergoing skin graft surgery and rehabilitation. He has since described the ordeal in a newly published memoir, Une seconde pour renaître (“A Second to Be Reborn”) .

On April 20, Metz announced he had signed a one-year professional contract — his first — committing him to the Ligue 1 club until 2027 .

“This moment has an even more special meaning after the difficult months I went through in the hospital,” Dos Santos said in a club statement . “This test made me stronger and taught me to never give up.”

‘I am alive — that’s the most important thing’

Dos Santos returned to the pitch for Metz’s reserve team on April 11 in France’s fifth-tier National 3 division . The club has described him as “a tireless worker and exemplary both on and off the field” .

Asked in February whether he had thought about his football career during his recovery, he told Paris Match: “I am alive — that’s the most important thing. Fitness will come later. The most important thing is that I make a full recovery” .

On Monday night, the audience at the UNFP ceremony responded with a long standing ovation .

The fire at Le Constellation remains one of Switzerland’s deadliest nightclub disasters. Swiss President Guy Parmelin called it “one of the worst tragedies our country has ever known” . More than 100 people were injured, with many victims burned beyond recognition, forcing authorities to rely on DNA and dental records for identification .

For Dos Santos and Ms. Lanseigne, the appearance marked not a victory over tragedy, but a step forward — together.