'I could barely breathe,' says one of B.C.'s newest millionaires of lotto win

Jaspreet Sandhu is seen in an image provided by BCLC on Thursday, July 15, 2021.

VANCOUVER -

An Abbotsford, B.C., man said he was not only speechless but breathless when he found out he'd just become a millionaire.

Jaspreet Sandu is $1 million richer after winning a Maxmillions prize in the June 15 Lotto Max draw.

He said he scanned his ticket recently, and realized he was one of eight people in B.C. who'd won the same amount.

"It is very hard to put into words what my first thought was," he said in a statement issued by the B.C. Lottery Corporation.

"I can tell you I could barely breathe."

When he caught his breath he called his dad who, of course, thought Sandu was joking.

His immediate plans for the money are modest: a family dinner of pizza, chicken and cake. But Sandu said he also hopes to buy a home for his family.

"This win is going to change the way that I think," he told BCLC.

"Before, I would say no to buying things because they were too expensive, and now I have a little more freedom to say yes."

According to BCLC, the odds of winning a Maxmillions prize are one in 33,294,800 per $5 play.

The odds of winning the most likely prize, a $5 free play, on a Lotto Max ticket are one in 8.5.