This is the dramatic moment a helicopter rescued a hiker struck down by illness in Italy.

Authorities reported that the holidaymaker suddenly fell ill near the Avola Lakes in the province of Syracuse, Sicily, on Saturday, March 29, prompting him to call for emergency help.

Two teams of firefighters quickly responded, deploying a Drago helicopter to assist.

Footage shows the mountaineer being airlifted to safety.

The aircraft then transported him to the hospital for treatment.

On March 3, a stranded British hiker was rescued from a mountain in Ornavasso. The female mountaineer had become trapped on a 6,000ft snow-covered ridge on Monte Poggio Santa Croce in the Lombardy region.

The Lombardy Flight Department deployed the Drago 150 helicopter, designed for high-altitude rescues, to locate her.

Authorities said the distressed holidaymaker managed to contact emergency services before her phone lost signal.