PGA Tour golfer Brian Harman reveals family friend is in coma after she tried to save his son from near-drowning
Brian Harman revealed that his family has been reeling from a horrific tragedy in which a close family friend is currently in a coma after she tried to save the pro golfer’s son from nearly drowning.
Harman, 37, spoke about the tragedy on Tuesday at the RSM Classic in St. Simons Island, Georgia — asking for prayers for the family friend, retired teacher Cathy Dowdy.
He said his wife and children were vacationing with the Dowdy family in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida while he was at the Macao Open in China last month.
His 6-year-old son was boogie boarding in the ocean on Oct. 13 when a rip current pulled him out to sea, Harman said.
Dowdy jumped in the water to try to save him but she became caught in the same powerful current and struggled to swim, he said.
A stranger, Crane Cantrell, who was walking along the beach saw what happened and swam out to the boy and saved him, according to Harman.
“He makes it out fine, Cathy [is] injured really badly in the water,” Harman said. “She’s been in a coma for going on six weeks now and so obviously our world down here was kind of turned on its head.”
A lifeguard pulled Dowdy out and began CPR until medics arrived and rushed her to the hospital, according to the St. Johns Citizen.
The 2023 British Open champion shared the story at the end of a news conference to express his gratitude and ask for prayers for his selfless friend’s recovery.
“I don’t really know what I wanted to kind of say other than I wanted to use whatever platform I have to bring awareness to what Cathy did, what Crane did,” Harman said. “They disregarded themselves, went into the water, saved my son and how do you thank people like that? I don’t know other than to just say what you think.
“I think that bravery and doing something like that for people who aren’t your blood is just the most beautiful thing you can do in this life.”
Dowdy remains in a coma on a ventilator at Select Specialty Hospital in Savannah, according to a Monday update on a GoFundMe page created to raise funds for her medical care.
The campaign had raised more than $87,000 as of Thursday night.
With Post wires
