Zubeen Garg was Drunk, Refused Life Vest Before Fatal Swim: Singapore Police Tells Court

Fresh details have emerged in the death case of Assamese music icon Zubeen Garg, with a police investigator revealing that the artist was heavily intoxicated when he drowned while swimming near Lazarus Island.

Testifying before Singapore’s Coroner’s Court, Assistant Superintendent of Police David Lim said the 53-year-old singer had consumed a large amount of alcohol and repeatedly refused to wear a life jacket before entering the sea. Lim, who serves with the Police Coast Guard, was the first witness to depose in the ongoing inquiry into Garg’s death.

According to the investigator, Garg had been on a yacht with friends on September 19, 2025, and despite several warnings from the yacht’s captain, he chose not to keep a life vest on while swimming. When friends asked him to return to the yacht, he suddenly stopped moving and was seen floating face down in the water.

He was pulled back onto the yacht, where his friends attempted to revive him. Garg was later taken to hospital, where he was declared dead the same evening. Police confirmed the cause of death as drowning.

Alcohol Level ‘Extremely High’

An autopsy report submitted to the court revealed that Garg had 333 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood, a level investigators said would have seriously affected his balance and coordination.

The court was told that Garg and his group boarded the yacht at Marina at Keppel Bay around 2 pm. All passengers were instructed to wear life jackets before entering the water. As the yacht reached Lazarus Island around 3 pm, Garg initially wore a life jacket and jumped into the sea, but later removed it, reportedly saying it was too large for him.

Ignored Repeated Warnings

ASP Lim further stated that after swimming for some time, Garg returned to the yacht and had to be assisted aboard as he appeared short of breath. Despite this, he soon decided to swim again. A smaller life jacket was offered, but he declined to wear it.

He then swam towards Lazarus Island without any safety gear. Moments later, witnesses saw him become motionless in the water, floating face down, with froth reportedly visible from his mouth.

Emergency Response and Death

Garg was immediately pulled out of the water, and CPR was performed on the yacht while an emergency call was made at 3:36 pm. A Police Coast Guard vessel reached the scene within 10 minutes and escorted the yacht to Marina South Pier.

From there, Garg was taken by ambulance to Singapore General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 5:13 pm.

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.

Also Read: Zubeen Garg Murder Case: Family Writes to CM Seeking Special Prosecutor