Ontario Lottery Winner Thought He Was Having 'A Heart Attack' After Discovering $250K Prize

Not all Ontario lottery winners are created equal. Some of them are absolute gems, like Stanley Maclean.

The Mississauga local won an impressive $250,000 top prize while playing a game of Instant Crossword Deluxe.

Maclean opened up about the moment he discovered his massive win while collecting his cheque at the OLG Prize Centre in Toronto, and by the sounds of it, it was a pretty jarring experience.

"I checked my tickets at the store and thought I won $25,000 at first. When I realized it was actually $250,000, I was in so much shock I had to tell myself to breathe. I thought, 'Oh my gravy!'", he explained.

Maclean was in such a state of shock that he barely managed to walk home with his ticket.

"The walk home was an out-of-body experience. I was in a lot of shock. I went back to the store a couple hours later and gave it to the cashier. I had to tell myself to breathe again. I really thought I was going to have a heart attack!" he added.

Thankfully, the 60-year-old wasn't actually going into cardiac arrest. Maclean made it home safely and immediately told his partner the good news.

"He was so excited for me! He didn't believe me at first – I had to send him a picture," he said.

As for his future plans for the funds, Stanley said he plans on using some of it to pay bills and purchase his nephew a phone while the rest will go towards investing in his future.

If you or someone you know is struggling with problem gambling, refer to these helplines across Canada. Support is available.