Son helps 78-year-old North Carolina dad confirm big Powerball prize. ‘It was real’

A North Carolina man won big with a Maryland Lottery ticket but needed some help from his son to figure out the win was real, officials said.

The 78-year-old Charlotte-area resident was driving to New York to visit family when he stopped in North East to get gas, according to an Aug. 15 news release from the Maryland Lottery. He didn’t realize he’d leave the rest area with a $50,000 prize.

The retired marina worker bought a Powerball ticket and checked his phone, quickly realizing he’d won, lottery officials said.

“I was quiet. I wanted to keep it to myself,” he told officials.

He called his son to confirm the win and read the numbers to him, officials said.

The man’s son “started to get worried” because his dad wasn’t reading the correct numbers back, the release said.

The lucky winner bought a five-line Quick Pick ticket and two lines had the same Powerball number, officials said. The man had read the wrong line and eventually realized his mistake.

“It was real and I was a winner. I am glad I found the right line,” he said in the release.

The winner’s only immediate plan for the money is to invest it, officials said.

North East is about 50 miles northeast of Baltimore.

This story was originally published August 15, 2023 at 1:46 PM with the headline "Son helps 78-year-old North Carolina dad confirm big Powerball prize. ‘It was real’."