The four victims of a tragic accident were honored Friday with a ceremony at Bunnell?s Pond in Beardsley Park, where their van drowned on the Fourth of July last year.

On the one-year anniversary of this accident, family, friends and city officials came together to pray and remember the victims.

A wreath now marks the spot where Michelle McIntosh, her 2-year-old son David, 6-year-old nephew Jayden Wilson and 3-year old family friend Julia Boyd died after the minivan they were riding in rolled down a hill into the water.

A brand new guardrail now stands where the McIntosh?s van was parked. Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch says putting up the barrier is something that needed to be done.

"It was a freak accident, maybe we couldn't have prevented it, but I certainly think that these barriers are a necessary improvement to the park," Finch says.

McIntosh's mother, Veronica Plummer, says the victim's husband and three remaining daughters were too distraught to attend the ceremony and chose to leave town. But she says the outpour of support from the local community does bring her some comfort.

"I already knew from the beginning that the community, they rallied with us and they were good to us," Plummer says.

Bridgeport police certified in water rescue will now patrol the park to ensure that no one gets too close to the pond. A small area on the outside of the guardrail will allow busses to drop off children headed to Beardsley Zoo.

And Finch says the wreath in honor of the victims will remain at the accident site for the next week.