American golfer Brian Harman has thanked a family friend who is in a coma after his six-year-old son was saved from drowning.

Speaking ahead of the RSM Classic in Georgia, world number 24 Harman told reporters that his son was pulled out to sea by a rip current while he was boogie boarding.

Friend of the family Cathy Dowdy went into the water after him and was injured to the extent that she has now been in a coma for six weeks, before a passer by was able to successfully rescue Harman's son.

"My son was out boogie boarding with one of his really good friends, got ripped out to sea by just a rip current," said 2023 Open winner Harman, who lives in Sea Island, Georgia.

"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 after my son - he's six - and 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.

"I wanted to use whatever platform I have to bring awareness to what Cathy did, what Crane did."