RACQ CQ Rescue retrieved a sick woman from Whitehaven Beach in the early hours of Sunday morning and airlifted her to hospital.

The 35-year-old Blacks Beach woman had been camping with her husband at Betty's Beach, on Whitehaven Beach, on the east side of Whitsunday Island and had spent a full day fishing in the area when she took ill about 7pm on Saturday night.

As her conditioned rapidly deteriorated, her husband hiked to higher ground at Tongue Point about 1.30am to get phone reception to call 000.

The Mackay-based rescue helicopter was tasked just after 2pm and flew directly to Betty's Beach, landing on the sandy shoreline about 2.50am with a doctor, Critical Care Paramedic and rescue crewman on board.

The medical crew worked on the beach for about 50 minutes to stabilise the ill woman and prepare her for the flight.

She arrived at Mackay Base Hospital in a stable condition about 3.40am.