JITRA: Fatimah Walad, 70, felt uneasy when her son, Muhammad Ikram Abdul Bari, sent her photos and videos of the river where he planned to go rafting.
"I advised him to be careful and not to do any stunts because I feared there might be rocks," she said.
That was the last time Fatimah spoke to her youngest of four children.
Ikram, a Public Works Department (JKR) officer, and two others from the department drowned when water levels in Sungai Jahang, Gopeng, Perak rose rapidly causing their raft to overturn.
The victims, Ikram 29, Mohamad Khairul Hakim Hamidi, 37, and Suhaili Mat Saad, 47, went missing.
They were found dead in the evening and the Ikram's siblings were informed. Fatimah however only found out later.
"My other three children and family members knew about it earlier but hesitated to tell me, fearing I might faint because of my heart condition," she said.
The retired teacher said a friend had messaged her earlier, informing her that three JKR officers participating in a team-building exercise in Sungai Jahang had drowned.
At that point, she was unaware that one of the victims was Ikram.
It was only around 8pm, when her son and other family members came to her home, that they broke the news to her.
Ikram is survived by his wife Nur Afifah Amira Ahmad Fauzi, 29 and their 19-month-old daughter, Aisy Adani.
Fatimah said Ikram will be buried in Kodiang in Kedah today.