Residents of Rigolet are coming together after the loss of two residents in a boating accident just outside town Tuesday evening.

A 34-year-old man and a 27-year-old woman died, and two young girls were left stranded, when their 18-foot aluminum boat struck a rock and capsized.

An extensive search that involved the RCMP, the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre, and local rescue teams was launched.

Derrick Pottle, a member of one of the rescue teams, has had trouble sleeping since the tragedy.

Pottle says the small, tight-knit community has experienced significant loss over the last few months, with five members of the community passing away – four of whom died in the last two weeks.

He says while the community is devastated, they will remain strong.