"Wear the life jacket, Zubeen": Eyewitness recounts singer’s last moments at sea

The untimely death of Assam’s musical icon, Zubeen Garg, during a yacht trip in Singapore has left the Assamese community across the globe reeling in shock and grief. What began as a friendly gathering on the waters of the island nation ended in heartbreak when the beloved singer lost his life in a tragic accident.

Speaking to India Today NE, Abhimanyu Talukdar, President of the Assam Association in Singapore, recounted the sequence of events that led to the tragedy. According to him, a private yacht party was organised by Tanmoy Phukan, an Assamese residing in Singapore and a close friend of Zubeen. Though several senior community members, including festival organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta, had advised against the party given Zubeen’s scheduled performance at the North East Festival later that evening, Zubeen himself expressed a wish to join the gathering.

The yacht, carrying 18 people — including 11 Assamese residents of Singapore, five members of Zubeen’s team, and two crew members — set sail towards St. John’s and Lazarus Islands. Once docked near Lazarus Island, the group engaged in aqua adventure activities under the supervision of the crew.

Zubeen, wearing a life jacket, initially swam in the waters but returned to the yacht complaining that the jacket was too loose. Despite repeated requests from friends and crew to keep it on, he removed the safety gear and leapt back into the sea. Moments later, he was spotted floating upside down.

“I shouted at Zubeen, asking him to wear the life jacket again. But within seconds, I saw him floating on the surface of the water with face down,” recalled Talukdar. Crew members rushed to pull him out, with froth emerging from his mouth. Immediate CPR was administered, and the yacht captain alerted the coast guard for emergency help.

The vessel sped back towards Marina Bay, where coast guard officials took over. Despite being rushed to Singapore General Hospital’s ICU, doctors were unable to revive the singer.

Talukdar also dismissed rumours that alcohol was involved. “He was offered a glass but declined it. He was not drunk, as is being speculated on social media,” he clarified.

Confirming the developments, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma posted on X, “The post-mortem of our beloved Zubeen Garg has been completed in Singapore. His mortal remains are now being handed over to the accompanying team Shekar Jothi Goswami, Sandeepan Garg, and Siddharth Sharma (Manager) in the presence of officers from the Indian Embassy.”

The mortal remains of the singer, who touched millions with his soulful voice, are now set to be brought back home. For Assam and the Northeast, Zubeen was not just an artist but an emotion — one whose songs will continue to echo even in his absence.