Family friend Cathy Dowdy remains in a coma after riptide incident

Editor's note: Brian Harman won the Valero Texas Open on Sunday for more than himself. After winning by three strokes at TPC San Antonio, Harman dedicated the victory to family friend Cathy Dowdy, who was hospitalized last fall after rushing into the ocean to help save Harman's son from drowning.

“I played with a heavy heart today. Miss Cathy … she’s not doing so good; just thinking about her all day,” Harman said in his winner's interview on NBC. “Just knowing that I’ve got so much support back home … I just feel so blessed to have all these people in my life.”

"I'm going to dedicate this win to the entire Dowdy family," Harman added while holding the Valero trophy. "I know Cathy is fighting really hard right now, and we love y'all so much. Can't wait to get home and see y'all."

Brian Harman used his pre-tournament press conference at The RSM Classic in St. Simons Island, Georgia, on Tuesday to thank a family friend who remains hospitalized after she rushed into the ocean to help save his son from drowning.

Harman, who lives in Sea Island, was competing in a tournament in China on Sunday, Oct. 13, when his wife, kids, and family friend Cathy Dowdy gathered for a vacation in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. They set up on the beach in front of the Ponte Vedra Inn & Club.

“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,” said Harman, a three-time PGA TOUR winner, most recently the 2023 Open Championship. “We get 'em here, it's not something that's abnormal, but this was an abnormally bad one.

“Cathy Dowdy, a family friend – really, we call 'em family friends but they're family – she went in the water," Harman continued. "She went in the water after my son. He's 6. 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.”

According to the St. Johns Citizen, a lifeguard reached Dowdy and brought her to shore, where he performed CPR before the arrival of emergency responders to the beach at around 12:30 p.m. ET.

Dowdy, of Brunswick, Georgia, was taken to the nearby Mayo Clinic but has since been moved to Savannah. Terri Langford, in setting up a GoFundMe page, wrote, "Cathy was in a drowning accident ... while trying to save a child in distress."

Harman said he could not be more appreciative. “I wanted to use whatever platform I have to bring awareness to what Cathy did, what Crane did,” he said. “They disregarded their selves, 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,” he continued. “She's up in Savannah and we're thinking about her. 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 Mike and Christina and Nicole (Dowdy's family members), they're family for us and we're with 'em till the end, and I appreciate everybody that's helped us out through all this. You know, prayers for Cathy.”