Brian Harman opens up on son’s drowning accident that left woman in coma

Brian Harman has paid tribute to a family friend left in a coma after saving his son’s life.

The former Open champion was playing in the Macao Open in China last month when his wife, Kelly, and friend Cathy Dowdy took their children to Ponte Vedra Beach in Florida.

And, as Harman prepared to return to PGA Tour action at the RSM Classic – the last stop on the FedEx Cup Fall Series which takes place near his home in St Simons Island, Georgia – he revealed the devastating ordeal that still hangs over him.

“My son was involved, he was out boogie boarding with one of his really good friends, got ripped out to sea by just a rip current,” Harman explained.

“We get them here, it’s not something that’s abnormal, but this was an abnormally bad one.

“Cathy Dowdy, a family friend – really, we call them family friends but they’re family – she went in the water after my son. He’s six, [but she] couldn’t get to him.

“Another gentleman, coming down the beach, Crane Cantrell, jumped in. He makes it out fine, Cathy [got] injured really badly.

“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.”

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According to the St John’s Citizen, a lifeguard pulled Dowdy to shore before performing CPR while they awaited the arrival of emergency services.

She was taken to the nearby Mayo Clinic but has since been transferred to a hospital closer to home.

Harman added: “I wanted to use whatever platform I have to bring awareness to what Cathy did, what Crane did.

“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.

“So Cathy’s still hurt real bad. She’s up in Savannah and we’re thinking about her.”

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He added: “The outpouring of support we’ve gotten from Glynn County and St Simons community is another one of the most touching things I’ve ever experienced.

“And for all we’ve been through and for how terrible it’s been for [Dowdy’s family] Mike and Christina and Nicole, they’re family for us and we’re with them till the end.

“I appreciate everybody that’s helped us out through all this. Prayers for Cathy.”

A GoFundMe page, which was set up in the days following the accident, has so far raised more than $75,000 to aid Dowdy’s recovery.

Alex Perry is the Associate Editor of bunkered. A journalist for more than 20 years, he has been a golf industry stalwart for the majority of his career and, in a five-year spell at ESPN, covered every sporting event you can think of. He completed his own Grand Slam at the 2023 Masters, having fallen in love with the sport at his hometown club of Okehampton and on the links of nearby Bude & North Cornwall.

Associate Editor