A lottery player from Sarina, Queensland, Australia, has been left speechless after winning an astounding AU$10 million ($6.8 million) jackpot earlier this week.
The winner, who has chosen to remain anonymous, secured the division one prize in Powerball’s draw 1469 on Thursday, July 11, 2024. As the sole winner, she will receive the entire AU$10 million ($6.8 million) jackpot.
The winning numbers for the draw were 9, 12, 16, 17, 19, 20, 22, and the Powerball number 9. The fortunate player purchased her ticket from Freechoice Sarina, located in the Sarina Village Shopping Centre on Broad Street.
When asked by Lott officials about her plans for the prize money, the Sarina woman mentioned that she intends to pay off her mortgage, settle bills, and buy a new car, possibly a Honda or Toyota. “I’d love to buy a Honda or Toyota with a bull bar because we really need one where we live,” she said.
“Ten million dollars will really help myself and the family. I’ll be able to pay off my mortgage, heaps of bills, and buy a brand-new car,” said the delighted winner.
A close call with fate
The winner revealed that she plans to reduce her working hours and eventually retire to spend more time with her grandchildren. She described the win as an incredibly exciting and unique surprise.
Interestingly, the lucky player almost missed out on buying the ticket. She was in a rush to get to work and nearly decided against purchasing it. Reflecting on this, she acknowledged that buying the ticket was one of the best decisions she ever made.
“I nearly didn’t buy the ticket because I was in a rush on the way to work but I’m so glad I did. Wow, just wow,” she added.
The excitement didn’t end there. When the Lott attempted to contact the winner to inform her of the jackpot, they initially couldn’t reach her. After several calls went unanswered, the winner eventually checked her voicemail. Initially suspecting scam calls, she was shocked to learn from a message left by a Lottery official that she had indeed won the division one prize.
