Zubeen Garg drowned after declining life jacket, was intoxicated: Singapore Police tells Court

Zubeen Garg, who died in Singapore in September last year, was “severely intoxicated” and had drowned in the waters off Lazarus Island after declining a life jacket, a Coroner’s Court was told on Wednesday, according to a report by Lydia Lam in Channel NewsAsia (CNA). Garg, 52, was part of a yacht party on September 19, 2025, and initially wore a life jacket but later removed it and declined to put on a second one offered to him, the chief investigating officer told the court at the opening of the inquiry. At the time of the incident, he was “heavily intoxicated”, and several witnesses saw him attempting to swim back to the yacht before he went limp and began floating face-down in the water. He was quickly pulled back onto the yacht, where cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) was administered, but he was pronounced dead later the same day.

The chief investigating officer told the court that Zubeen Garg was in Singapore for the North East India Festival in September 2025. On September 19, he left his hotel and boarded a yacht at the Marina at Keppel Bay. There were about 20 people on board, including Garg’s friends and colleagues. According to the officer, the group had snacks, drinks and alcohol on the boat, and several witnesses said they saw Zubeen Garg drinking alcohol. One witness stated that he had consumed a few cups of liquor, gin and whisky, along with a few sips of Guinness Stout. The group later dropped anchor between Lazarus Island and St John’s Island. A kayak was prepared for use, and Zubeen Garg donned a life jacket, which a witness later described as being too large for him, before jumping into the sea to swim along with a few others.

During this first swim, he removed his life jacket and later returned to the yacht, where he was heard saying that he was tired. When he decided to resume swimming, Mr Garg was offered a second, smaller life jacket, but he declined to wear it. He then entered the water without a life jacket and began swimming alone in the direction of Lazarus Island. Members of the group on the yacht shouted for others to bring him back, as he was not wearing safety equipment. According to the report, Zubeen Garg turned back when others shouted at him to return, but while swimming back to the yacht, he suddenly became motionless and floated face-down in the water. He was quickly rescued and taken back to the yacht, where CPR was administered. Within two minutes of receiving a distress call, the Police Coast Guard dispatched a patrol craft, which arrived within nine minutes. Police officers took over CPR and noted that Zubeen Garg did not have a pulse and was not breathing. The yacht was guided to Marina South Pier, about three nautical miles (6 km) away, and Garg was taken by ambulance to Singapore General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at about 5.15 pm.

An autopsy later determined the cause of death to be drowning. Some injuries were found on his body, but these were determined to have been sustained during CPR and rescue efforts. Medications for hypertension and epilepsy were found in his blood, with no other drugs detected. The investigating officer said Zubeen Garg had been swimming in the waters off St John’s Island without a life jacket despite repeated reminders from the captain and efforts by others to ensure he wore one. One witness, an employee of Garg and a family friend, told the court he was concerned about the singer’s sleep cycle, noting that Garg had been sleeping less and mostly during the day, and expressed concern about his health given his history of seizures since 2017. The court also heard that a witness had attempted to visit Garg at his hotel at 1 pm the day before the incident, but he was asleep and only left his room around 8 pm. Statements from several witnesses indicated that Zubeen Garg had no suicidal tendencies and was not pushed into the water, but had jumped in voluntarily for a swim, and video footage was played showing him in the water, including during his first swim when he removed his life jacket. The forensic pathologist testified that it could not be determined whether Garg had suffered a seizure, as there were no signs such as a bitten tongue, and Singapore police said they do not suspect any foul play. Before the inquiry opened, Garg’s uncle read a statement to the court raising several concerns the family had regarding the circumstances of his death.