A WOMAN who died after being pulled out of the water at Mudeford Quay has been named as successful polo journalist Victoria Elsbury-Legg.

The 44-year-old, who suffered from ME, had been living with her parents in Winkton, Christchurch, for the last few months of her life.

Yesterday a Bournemouth inquest heard Ms Elsbury-Legg had died of drowning after entering the water in Mudeford Quay last Thursday night.

Dorset coroner Sheriff Payne heard she left the car she was travelling in with her parents at Mudeford Quay on the evening of Thursday, February 11.

Her parents, who were concerned for her welfare, contacted police to say they could no longer see her.

It sparked a large-scale search and rescue mission by Dorset police, RNLI, and Coastguard.

The search continued for an hour and a half before she was recovered around 10.30pm.

The inquest was told she was pulled from the water unresponsive and despite efforts to resuscitate her she was pronounced dead at Bournemouth Royal Hospital at 1.40am on Friday morning.

A suicide note was found in the back of her parent’s car.

Originally from Bristol, Ms Elsbury-Legg received her degree in English literature and drama at Royal Holloway, University of London.

During her early career she worked on the then-HTV programme The List, interviewing future stars such as the Spice Girls and Justin Timberlake.

She also wrote a column for the Bristol Evening Post called ‘Sex in the City’.

In the later part of her career she became an integral and well-known part of the polo world working as a freelance journalist.

Her parents Phil and Sarah Legg have set up a memorial page dedicated to the memory of their “devoted daughter”.

She is also described as a “loving sister to Genevra and loyal friend to so many”.

One tribute read: “We are so sorry Victoria that our world let you down.”

Whilst another said: “She was such a positive person, full of life and energy. You will be missed.”

Her parents have asked that rather than flowers people make a donation to two charities very close to Victoria’s heart - mental health charity Mind and F.O.R.M.E (The Fund for Osteopathic Research into Myalgic Encephalomyelitis) which supports people with ME.

The inquest was adjourned until June 17.