Golfer Brian Harman Thanks Friend After Son’s Drowning Rescue

American golfer Brian Harman, currently ranked 24th in the Official World Golf rankings, has expressed gratitude to a family friend who remains in a coma following the rescue of his six-year-old son from drowning. During a press conference prior to the RSM Classic in Georgia, Harman, the world number 24, informed journalists that his son was swept out to sea by a rip current while boogie boarding. Family friend Cathy Dowdy entered the water to assist him and sustained injuries that have left her in a coma for six weeks. Subsequently, a passerby successfully rescued Harman’s son. Harman, the 2023 Open winner residing in Sea Island, Georgia, recounted the event: “My son was out boogie boarding with one of his really good friends, got ripped out to sea by just a rip current.” He added, “We get ’em here, it’s not something that’s abnormal, but this was an abnormally bad one.” Harman further explained the sequence of events: “Cathy Dowdy, a family friend – really, we call ’em family friends but they’re family – she went in the water after my son – he’s six – and couldn’t get to him.” He continued, describing the intervention of another individual: “Another gentleman coming down the beach, Crane Cantrell, jumped in. He makes it out fine; Cathy [got] injured really badly.” Reflecting on the situation, Harman stated, “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.” He concluded by expressing his motivation: “I wanted to use whatever platform I have to bring awareness to what Cathy did, what Crane did.”