Woman pulled from water off Sydney beach

A woman fighting for life after she was pulled from the ocean at Yarra Bay in Sydney's eastern suburbs remains unidentified.

The woman was pulled unconscious from the water by a passerby who spotted her in distress on Thursday night, police say.

NSW paramedics treated the woman at the scene before rushing her to St George Hospital where she remains in a critical condition.

She is believed to be aged in her late 20s and by Friday morning had still not been formally identified.

Police are waiting until her health improves before speaking with her.