A beanie belonging to Luke Shambrook has been found, but there is still no sign of the autistic boy missing in a Victorian national park for four days.
The beanie was found in bushland to the west of, and not far from, Candlebark campsite where the 11-year-old was last seen on Good Friday.
The discovery on Monday gave searchers another piece of the puzzle - the direction Luke had wandered off - though it is not known when the beanie was dropped.
There were heightened hopes Luke would be found on Monday, after a family on a 4WD trip reported sighting a boy in rugged bushland in the Devils River area late on Sunday.
A search of this area through Sunday night and Monday found no sign of Luke.
Campers and about 40 volunteers from nearby towns are helping rescue teams - including the air wing, dog squad, local police and SES volunteers - in an ongoing search of Fraser National Park and surrounds.
"We continue to express our thanks to all involved in searching for Luke," the Shambrook family said in a statement on Monday afternoon.
"Everyone's ongoing involvement and support is overwhelming and still greatly needed."
Weather conditions have been favourable for searchers and for survival in the bush.
Walking and 4WD trails have been searched and waterways have been checked as Luke has a fascination with water.
Acting Senior Sergeant Andrew Walker said Luke had holidayed in the area with his family before and was familiar with certain trails, but had never previously gone missing.
"He's resilient, we're still hopeful that Luke's out there," he told reporters.
"I think everyone involved in this search is positive that we'll find him."
There are no plans to scale back the search, though Sen Sgt Walker recognised there would be less volunteers and campers involved after the Easter holiday.
Police have also been stopping campers and talking to them on their way out of the area to "gather as much information as we possibly can", though Luke's disappearance is not considered suspicious.
"We're treating this as a search and rescue operation still," Sen Sgt Walker said.
The state's SES service has asked the public not to flock to the area to help.
"While we understand that everyone is worried about Luke, we ask people not to head to the area to help out," a Sunday night post on Facebook said.
"At this stage, more people will only complicate the scene.
"Help will be requested if needed."
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