Fresh off his victory at the Valero Open, golfer Brian Harman has revealed that Cathy Dowdy, the family friend who helped save his 6-year-old son, Walter, from drowning entered hospice care last Friday.
It is the first true update from Harman on Dowdy since the original heartbreaking incident took place several months ago.
Harman said the original incident came during a family vacation where his wife, Kelly Van Slyke, and their three children were in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. The couple are also parents to 8-year-old daughter Cooper and Jack, 2.
Harman himself was not in Florida for the trip, as he was competing on an Asian Tour event in China.
Walter was bodyboarding on October 13 when he was pulled into a strong rip current. Dowdy, from Brunswick, Georgia attempted to save Walter by entering the ocean but she was unable to reach him as she struggled against the strong current.
Another man named Crane Cantrell saw the nightmare incident unfold and went in to help, managing to save the Harmans’ middle child.
Brian Harman revealed his family friend Cathy Dowdy has entered hospice after saving his son
Harman is pictured with son Walter (left) and daughter Cooper (right) at the 2024 Masters
A GoFundMe page had been set up for Cathy Dowdy (right) following the incident
However, Dowdy was left seriously injured. A lifeguard pulled Dowdy out of the water and administered CPR until first-responders arrived, per the St. Johns Citizen. She was in a coma for an unrevealed amount of time, which was at least six weeks.
Now, with her hospice admittance, things have taken another unfortunate turn for the worst.
Harman won the Valero Open while ‘playing with a heavy heart’. Despite shooting a 3-over during Sunday’s final round in San Antonio, he was able to win the final PGA Tour event before the Masters.
‘I’m going to dedicate this win to the entire Dowdy family,’ Harman said in a video from the PGA Tour. I know Cathy is fighting really hard right now. We love y’all so much. Cant wait to get home to see y’all.’
A GoFundMe has been set up to help with Dowdy’s medical expenses. It has raised nearly $107k since its initial posting.
Harman, who won the Open Championship last year, and wife Kelly married in December 2014. The couple welcomed their first child, a daughter named Cooper Marie, back in 2016.
They added to their brood with son, Walter, in 2019 and their third child, Jack in September 2022.
