A helicopter helps in the search for a boy lost in the Whitewater River in Franklin County. WLWT-TV / wlwt.com

(Cedar Grove, Ind.) - The search effort continues for a 17-month-old boy on the Whitewater River near Cedar Grove in Franklin County.

He was kayaking with his parents on the river Wednesday, when the vessel capsized and he was lost.

Rumors and suspicions have begun swirling in tri-state media that the drowning could be a cover up to another crime, but investigators say they’ve found no evidence to suggest that.

“There are currently no indications that this has been anything but a tragic accident,” said Indiana Department of Natural Resources Conservation Officer Gary Catron.

The boy’s parents - Carmen Sickmeier and Lawrence Obanion, both from Florence, Ky. – have been staying close to the search in the town of New Trenton.

Meanwhile, approximately 50 people have spent their third day combing the water and wooded areas along the river.

Airboats are still being utilized to access hard to reach areas. Butler County, Ohio is providing a helicopter for an aerial search Friday afternoon.

Others with the search crew have been stationed at various points along 23 miles of river to keep their eyes on the water while other responders concentrate on searching the area of the initial accident.

If nobody is found Friday, the recovery could span into the weekend, possibly affecting hundreds of people who plan to canoe on an upstream portion of the Whitewater River from Brookville.