Houston was alive an hour before body found

Whitney Houston was seen alive and well by hotel staff or a member of her family less than an hour before she was found dead in a bath.

The legendary singer was pronounced dead on Saturday after she was found unconscious in the tub at her suite at the Beverly Hilton hotel in Los Angeles.

Reports since the tragedy have speculated Houston had been using prescription drugs or had drowned - but a coroner's official in L.A. has now spoken out to quash the reports and reveal Houston was seen alive less than an hour before she died.

L.A. Assistant Chief Coroner Ed Winter says, "We are not saying that (she drowned). She was in the bath tub when she was found. She was removed by a family member (or) a bodyguard, and (when) the fire department got there, she was already out of the bath tub.

"I do not know (the cause of death) yet and when we find out, we will be in contact with Beverly Hills PD (police department), but first we will be in contact with the family and give them our findings.

"She was last seen... she was seen within an hour by somebody - family or somebody at the hotel - and then she was discovered."

Winter said an autopsy has proved inconclusive and officials are awaiting the results of toxicology tests, but Houston's body has now been released to her family.