The 22-year-old first-year student went missing after falling overboard a 20-foot keel-boat on July 3 while training with four other team members for a regatta in August.

None of them was donning life jackets then.

The inquiry heard that the four left Raffles Marina at about 1.30pm in SMUmad.

Mr Angsana, a non-swimmer, was given the task of hoisting and lowering the spinnaker, a triangular head sail.

They had been training twice a week and were then in the third week of the training programme.

Sergeant Derrick Yeo Choon Seng, the investigation officer from Police Coas Guard, said in his report that during a manoeuvre, the spinnaker dropped into the sea as Mr Angsana had lowered it too quickly.

While leaning forward over the bow in an attempt to retrieve it, he lost his balance and fell overboard.

But he did not show any signs of distress or panic. Neither did he shout for help.

The court heard that a team member tried to pull him up but could not. Mr Angsana had also tried twice to climb up on his own.

He drifted about 2m away from the boat. When team member Renfred Tay Woon Chuan, 23, a former national sailor, asked Mr Angsana if he could swim to the boat, Mr Angsana said he could not swim.

Mr Tay then jumped into the water and held onto Mr Angsana while treading water.

Meanwhile, the other team members tried to guide the keel-boat back round to pick the duo up from the water.

Mr Angsana then started to panic and struggle. As a result, Mr Tay was pressed underwater several times. He eventually broke off from Mr Angsana by treading water an arm's length away.

Mr Tay kept a lookout for Mr Angsana and helped him to stay afloat by pulling him above the water whenever his head went under.

Another team member threw a life vest to the two men but it landed about 20m short.

When Mr Tay tried to retrieve it, Mr Angsana had disappeared under the water by then.

A search was conducted for Mr Angsana but in vain.

His highly decomposed body was found floating in the sea off the marina two days later by a Police Coast Guard patrol boat. The inquiry continues.