KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) -- After tragedy this weekend, a Powell church family is mourning the death of one of its youngest members.

3-year-old Patrick Bradbury drowned at Carl Cowan Park Sunday evening while attending a birthday party.

Patrick's father is a youth pastor at New Covenant Fellowship church, so many church members went to the park Sunday night to pray for the Bradburys and the loss of Patrick, who is number three of four boys.

Everyone Volunteer TV spoke with said the family is strong.

But nothing tests your faith like the death of a child.

"I think what we can take away from this situation, is we see a family that in good times and in bad times they are so strong," Amy Tiebout, a family friend said. "It's remarkable. They are a family that something like this isn't going to tear them apart. It's going to make them stronger."

Sometimes the unimaginable does happen.
And when it does, it can challenge who we are as individuals.

"I'm very impressed by that-- by them-- and their faith," Tiebout told WVLT.

Tiebout knows the Bradbury family well. She works alongside Paul Bradbury at New Covenant Fellowship Church. And she works in the nursery, where she spent a lot of time with Patrick.

"Fun-loving, very, very friendly little boy. He's so cute," Tiebout said, talking about Patrick.

Just a couple of weeks ago, Patrick recorded a message for Father's Day. In it, he's asked why he loves his dad.

"My name is Patrick," the three-year-old says, shifting in front of the camcorder. "He takes me at Splash Country," he continued, talking about his father.

"Splash Country? What do you do at Splash Country?" A voice asks off camera.

"play in the water," Patrick replied.

Patrick loved the water. He loved to play. He was a typical 3-year-old.

But on Sunday, that turned tragic as he wandered away from his family at Carl Cowan Park. His body was discovered about two hours later in about 40 feet of water.

Tiebout says the Bradbury family's strength through this tragedy is inspirational.

Though they're shaken, they will not be moved from their faith in the lord.

"We know in the Bible it says that we do not sorrow as those who have no hope because we do have hope," Tiebout said.

That is, hope that the Bradburys will see Patrick again, and hope that good can come from this sad situation.

An autopsy will be performed on Patrick, to determine the exact cause of death.

Until those results are back, the investigation into what happened is on-going.

The family's church set up a fund to make donations for the family. For more information you can find that here.