A human locator system and method conducts long-range locating with components or steps that are not readily visible on the person of the lost human, and that is fully independent of external communications and power systems. The human subject is provided with a beacon that may be concealed on or in the body, which is activated to produce a signal which may be sensed by a sensor or receiver deployed to scan a field of search in which the human subject may be located. The beacon indicates a signal origination point that is indicative of the location of the human subject by differentiating the human subject in a pre-arranged manner from the background region in which the human subject is located.