Singapore – The Coroner's Court in Singapore has heard that Zubeen Garg, a popular Indian singer-songwriter, was heavily intoxicated and had refused to wear a life jacket before he drowned off Lazarus Island in September 2025. The details emerged during an inquiry into the singer's death, shedding light on the circumstances surrounding the tragic incident.
Assistant Superintendent of Police David Lim, who serves with the Police Coast Guard, testified before the court that the 53-year-old singer had consumed a significant amount of alcohol and repeatedly declined to wear a life jacket prior to entering the water. Garg was in Singapore to perform at the North East India Festival. On September 19, 2025, he boarded a yacht at the Marina at Keppel Bay with around 20 friends and colleagues. Snacks, drinks, and alcohol were present on the yacht. Witnesses reported that Garg had consumed several cups of liquor, gin, whisky, and Guinness Stout.
According to the chief investigating officer, all passengers were instructed to wear life jackets before entering the water. Upon arriving near Lazarus Island, Garg initially wore a life jacket and entered the sea, but he later removed it, stating that it was too large. Despite warnings from the yacht's captain, he chose not to keep the life vest on while swimming. When friends urged him to return to the yacht, he suddenly stopped moving and was found floating face down in the water.
The singer was promptly pulled back onto the yacht, where friends administered cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). An emergency call was made at 3:36 pm. A Police Coast Guard vessel arrived within 10 minutes and escorted the yacht to Marina South Pier. Garg was then taken to Singapore General Hospital by ambulance and was pronounced dead at 5:13 pm. Police confirmed that the cause of death was drowning.
A toxicology analysis revealed that Garg had a blood alcohol concentration of 333 milligrams per 100ml of blood. This level of intoxication would have severely impaired his coordination and reflexes. For comparison, the legal alcohol limit in Singapore is 80 milligrams per 100ml of blood. An autopsy confirmed the drowning and revealed some injuries sustained during CPR and rescue efforts. Medications for hypertension and epilepsy were found in his blood, but no other drugs were detected. It remains unclear whether he had taken his regular epilepsy medication on the day of the incident. Garg had a medical history of hypertension and epilepsy, with his last known epileptic episode in 2024.
Mobile phone videos shown in court reportedly captured Garg removing his life jacket and struggling as he attempted to climb back onto the yacht. The coroner's hearing was attended by members of the public, along with Garg's uncle and nephew. The coroner stated that the uncle was free to question the 35 witnesses expected to be called, including those who were on the yacht, the boat captain, police officers, and paramedics.
