A WOMAN found floating in the sea off Bournemouth Pier and pronounced dead upon her arrival at hospital has been named as Larisa Novikova.

An inquest into the death of the Russian-born 57-year-old was opened and adjourned at the coroner's court in Bournemouth on Wednesday.

The court heard Ms Novikova, of Lansdowne Mews in Bournemouth, was pulled from the sea by RNLI crews on January 9.

The air ambulance also landed on the beach.

Ms Novikova, a cook, was flown to Poole Hospital, but doctors pronounced her dead on her arrival.

It was not initially possible for a cause of death to be established. However, on Wednesday, a provisional cause was given as drowning.

There are no suspicious circumstances, and it is not believed there is any third party involvement in her death, it was heard.

A full inquest is set to take place at the court on September 3 this year