Delivering the final findings, a coroner’s inquiry in Singapore into the death of Zubeen Garg has ruled that the singer’s death was due to accidental drowning. Zubeen drowned during a swim off Lazarus Island in Singapore on September 19, 2025. Delivering his findings, State Coroner Adam Nakhoda said there was no reason to disagree with the Police Coast Guard’s investigation conclusion after analyzing the evidence before him. A death certificate issued by the Singapore General Hospital listed the cause of death as drowning. Zubeen had consumed alcohol and refused a life vest before jumping off a yacht, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) David Lim testified on the first day of the inquiry on January 14. While his friends tried to convince him to return to the yacht, Zubeen became motionless. He was pulled back onto the yacht, where efforts were made to resuscitate him, but to no avail. The artist was in Singapore for the North East India Festival, a cultural festival organized by the Assamese community in Singapore. He was scheduled to perform on Sept 20.
The captain of the vessel, who also testified on January 14, said that Zubeen and about 15 others had boarded the yacht at Marina at Keppel Bay at around 2 pm. He said the singer was so unsteady, his friends had to hold onto his arms as he boarded the vessel. The captain’s assistant told the court in January that no one had forced Zubeen to consume alcohol or enter the water. He added that the singer and his entourage were informed aboard the yacht about the necessity of wearing life jackets before going for a swim. At about 2.30 pm, the group arrived near Lazarus Island. Zubeen initially put on a life jacket and jumped off the yacht. He later removed it while in the water, as he found it was too big for him. When he returned to the yacht, he had to be helped onboard as he was breathing heavily.
“It was apparent he was already exhausted by the short swim. I find the exhaustion was apparent by the fact he was unable to get onto the yacht himself and required assistance,” the coroner pointed out. Later, Zubeen decided to join another man for a second swim towards Lazarus Island and subsequently got drowned. Before he resumed swimming, he was handed a smaller life jacket but refused to wear it. “Seeing as his drowning occurred shortly after he turned back and swam back towards the yacht, I found it was possible he decided to do so as he was very fatigued or he felt something was not right with himself physically,” said the coroner. The coroner said there was also no evidence of any delay in the administration of first aid, nor delay in getting Zubeen back to the mainland to send him to a hospital.