LINCOLN, N.H. (AP) – Kayakers paddled for several miles along a river and volunteers trekked through more forest Thursday as the search expanded for a 10-year-old boy reported lost on Monday.

“We’re looking for anything,” Marty Milbury of Derry said after kayaking for several hours along the Pemigewasset River in the White Mountains. They found no sign of the boy.

In the woods, searchers found a baseball cap and a sweatshirt, but they weren’t sure if the items belonged to Patric McCarthy of Bourne, Mass., who became separated from his stepbrothers while playing with them about 300 yards behind the family condominium. Police also found small footprints in one area, but confirmed that they were not Patric’s.

Officials believe Patric may have tried a shortcut while racing his brothers back to the condo and taken a wrong turn into the wilderness.

More than 500 volunteers from all over New England have been searching day and night for Patric. Searchers used dogs, helicopters and night vision equipment, working in rain and wind as temperatures dipped into the 30s and 40s.

On Thursday, officials expanded their search beyond a 20-square-mile area to include three river drainages and a hiking trail, said Fish and Game Maj. Tim Acerno. They also began searching south of the family’s condo, in a ski area.

Police spoke to other condo owners and renters in the area, but the interviews didn’t result in any leads.

Acerno said every available Fish and Game officer is in Lincoln.

“Our guys are getting burnt, but if we try to pull them out, they scream,” he said.

Authorities don’t suspect foul play.

“There’s absolutely no indication that he was abducted,” State Police Lt. John Scarinza said. “Nobody has called with any information along those lines.”

More volunteers arrived Thursday morning.

“I like to think we can be helping in some way,” said Susan Kruse, who is from Bourne and whose 17-year-old son plays hockey with one of the McCarthy children. She offered to serve coffee, food, head into the woods – whatever it takes.

“Patric is a very intelligent boy and hopefully he went to get shelter somewhere,” Fish and Game Capt. Marty Garabedian said. “We’re very hopeful and optimistic and plugging along.”

He was asked when the search would be scaled back. “I don’t want to go there,” Garabedian said.

Patric’s family thanked the volunteers for their efforts.

“Please, everyone, just never stop looking,” said his father, Steve McCarthy.

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People who were staying at Clear Brook 1 and Clear Brook 2 condos and Village at Loon are asked to call authorities at 800-852-3411 or 603-864-3333 if they saw Patric McCarthy or anything possibly related to his disappearance.

AP-ES-10-16-03 1633EDT