From Disaster to Dollar Signs: Michigan Man Wins Fantasy 5 While Cleaning Up Storm Damage

"This would be a great time to win the lottery."

That's what a Macomb County woman told her father as they cleaned up after a tree crashed into her home during a recent Michigan storm.

Moments later, he pulled out his phone, checked the Fantasy 5 ticket he'd forgotten about, and learned he'd just won a $244,498 jackpot.

A Daughter's Joke Becomes Reality

The Macomb County man tells the Michigan Lottery he buys a Fantasy 5 ticket every Monday.

“The next day, while I was at my daughter’s house helping her clean up after a tree had fallen onto her house during a storm, she looked at me and said: ‘This would be a great time to win the lottery.’ That reminded me that I hadn’t checked my Fantasy 5 ticket yet."

Turning Disaster Cleanup Into Dollar Signs

He opened the Michigan Lottery app on his phone and made a discovery that turned his daughter's offhand comment into an unforgettable coincidence: He'd won the jackpot.

The 75-year-old player, who has chosen to keep his identity under wraps, tells the Lottery that he purchased his winning ticket at Little Mack Beer & Wine in Saint Clair Shores.

A Lucky Ending After Storm Damage

The lucky player says he plans to save his winnings - and we can only speculate that maybe he'll help his daughter with some of her cleanup expenses.