Former Open champion, Brian Harman has asked for prayers to be sent to a hero who remains in a coma more than a month after trying to save his six-year-old son from drowning.
Back on Sunday, October 13, Harman was competing at the Asian Tour's Macau Open while his wife and family friend Cathy Dowdy took a trip to Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida along with the Harmans' children and a couple of their buddies.
While the 37-year-old's son and his good friend were boogie boarding, Harman's son was pulled out by a rip current and into danger. Dowdy went out to try and save the child but sustained an injury herself.
Another person on the beach, Crane Cantrell jumped into the water and successfully retrieved both people. However, Dowdy has been in a coma almost ever since.
She is now at a hospital in Savannah, Georgia - around 90 minutes from where Harman and his family live in St Simons, Glynn County. To help Dowdy's family through the difficult time, a GoFundMe page was set up. The initial target was $20,000, but the current figure is at almost four times that.
Harman brought the issue to light in his pre-tournament press conference ahead of the RSM Classic, which takes place over the Plantation and Seaside courses at Sea Island Resort, GA.
“Obviously our world down here was kind of turned on its head,” Harman said. “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.
"They disregarded theirselves, 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.”
Harman - who is making his 13th career appearance at the RSM Classic - expressed his gratitude for all of the support he and his loved ones have received already and encouraged people to continue thinking of Dowdy.
He said: "The outpouring of support we've gotten from Glynn County and the 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, they're family for us and we're with 'em till the end. I appreciate everybody that's helped us out through all this. You know, prayers for Cathy."
