South Carolina Man Wins $586,000 Lottery After Returning Lost Ticket

A South Carolina man who returned a lost winning lottery ticket later won a $586,000 jackpot himself. The man found a Pick 3 ticket worth $500 on the floor of a Murphy’s gas station in front of a Myrtle Beach Walmart in February. He told the manager to notify him if the owner returned and kept his word when the ticket’s owner appeared.

Leads to Jackpot The man said the owner’s gratitude convinced him he was destined to win. “The owner was so grateful to get the ticket back, that I knew I was going to hit the lottery after that, I just knew it,” he said. On April 25 he bought a Palmetto Cash 5 ticket that matched all five winning numbers. The odds of selecting all five numbers were 1 in 850,668.

The winner said he plans to use the money to assist people in need. “I’ve been lucky in life and can use this prize to help some people, and maybe my story will encourage others to do the right thing,” he said. The South Carolina Education Lottery announced the details of the February incident and the April win.

A Michigan man also won $1 million after buying an Electric 100s ticket at a Wesco station in Kent County. The 31-year-old had stopped to cash a $20 ticket and spent $10 on the winning ticket instead.