The family of a Georgia woman who nearly drowned in front of the Ponte Vedra Inn & Club gave an update on her condition Tuesday.
Cathy Dowdy, relatives said, entered the water to aid a child in distress on October 14 when she began to struggle to stay above the surf.
A relative wrote on a GoFundMe post that the former teacher remained unconscious this week “but does respond a little to some stimulation on occasion.”
“The vital organs are okay except they say there is some damage to the brain. They will not know how much until she wakes up,” Mike Dowdy wrote, adding that she was relying on a feeding tube.
A lifeguard pulled Dowdy from the water and administered life saving procedures before emergency crews arrived at the scene.
Dowdy’s family has received an outpouring of support since the incident, with the fundraising campaign collecting $64,000 as of Thursday afternoon.
“Please keep the prayers and thoughts coming,” he wrote. “That is what is giving our family the strength and hope to carry on. The amount of love and support has been overwhelming! I would truly love to give each of you a big hug and say Thanks. Hopefully Cathy will be able to do the same soon.”
