SINGAPORE, March 25 — The death of Indian singer Zubeen Garg after a swim off Lazarus Island has been ruled an accidental drowning, with a Singapore coroner finding no evidence of foul play, The Straits Times reported.

Delivering his findings, State Coroner Adam Nakhoda said there was “no reason to disagree” with the Police Coast Guard’s conclusion after reviewing the evidence presented during the inquiry.

A death certificate issued by Singapore General Hospital listed the cause of death as drowning.

The inquiry heard that Garg had consumed alcohol and declined to wear a life jacket before entering the water during a yacht trip on September 19, 2025. Witnesses said he appeared unsteady even before boarding, needing assistance from friends.

After an initial swim, he returned to the yacht exhausted and required help to climb back on board.

“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 said.

Despite this, Garg later went back into the water for a second swim — again refusing to wear a life vest, even as others tried to persuade him.

“Ultimately, his efforts were to no avail. Mr Garg steadfastly refused to wear nor (did he) allow the man to put the life jacket on him,” the coroner said, referring to attempts by another passenger to help him.

Video evidence reviewed during the inquiry showed the singer swimming in a fatigued manner.

“His swim strokes appeared to be more akin to doggy paddling. It resembled the swim stroke of a person who was tired or fatigued,” the coroner noted.

At one point, Garg turned back towards the yacht but slowed significantly. The coroner said it was possible he was “very fatigued or… felt something was not right with himself physically” before losing consciousness in the water.

Other swimmers rushed to assist and lifted his head above water, with the coroner emphasising there was no evidence his face had been deliberately submerged.

“I found the swimmers in the sea had assisted Mr Garg to the best of their abilities,” he said.

Garg was pulled back onto the yacht, where CPR was administered while an emergency call was made. A Police Coast Guard vessel arrived within minutes and escorted the yacht back to shore, but he was pronounced dead at hospital later that evening.

The coroner also found no delays in first aid or evacuation.

An autopsy revealed a blood alcohol level of 333mg per 100ml — more than four times Singapore’s legal driving limit — which experts said would have impaired coordination.

Garg, who was in Singapore for a cultural festival and was due to perform the following day, also had medication for hypertension and epilepsy in his system, though no other drugs were detected.

His death sparked outrage in his home state of Assam, where protests turned violent and several individuals were later charged in India in connection with the incident.