I won £1million Euromillions prize but I thought I’d got nothing when call handler put me on hold – my heart SANK
The Cardiff couple promise they won't waste their riches - they know all too well the wrong side of luck
A MOTOR mechanic turned millionaire thought he won nothing when he was put on hold by a lotto call handler, he has revealed.
Dave Williams, 58, scooped the EuroMillions mammoth £1,000,000 prize on May 21 – but says his heart sank on a tantalising phone call.
The Cardiff car repairer scrolled through his National Lottery app, discovering what he thought was a £100,000 triumph.
Dave then picked up the phone to ring the National Lottery, but was briefly put on hold.
It was the moment his “heart really sank”.
But despair turned to delight just seconds later when he was informed that rather than winning £100,000, he’d won a life-changing £1million.
Dave said: “When the gentleman came back on the line to say ‘Mr Williams, you said you’ve won £100,000’ and paused, my heart really sank.
“(But it was) only to leap once more when he continued ‘I’m pleased to tell you, you’ve actually won £1M’.
“I’d always hoped and dreamed I’d win a life changing amount on The National Lottery.”
Dave couldn’t contain the excitement, “swearing loudly for a good five minutes”.
The new millionaire man and wife Sarah haven’t always been so fortunate, with the couple battling health problems in the past.
Dave said: “We’ve both had it tough in recent years so we’re not wasting any time, we know that every minute is a gift.
“Some years ago I was diagnosed with throat cancer, which meant some pretty extensive and aggressive treatment, culminating in losing half my jaw and having to undergo reconstructive surgery.
“And then just when I was on the mend, Sarah was treated for a catalogue of problems including spondylitis, an inflammation of the spine which is affecting her freedom of movement and putting her in almost constant pain.”
The wonder win has transformed the couple’s perspective on life from “train coming towards us” to “light at the end of the tunnel” in a timely twist of fate.
When Dave told Sarah about the victory, she thought her husband was trying to wind her up.
Sarah said: “But when he showed me the ticket, and now when I see all those noughts in the bank account, I know it’s for real.
“I didn’t think anything could be more exciting than my son and his girlfriend giving us our first grandchild last year, but I think this is coming in a close second!”
We’ve both had it tough in recent years so we’re not wasting any time, we know that every minute is a gift.
Dave Williams
Dave has been on the hunt for a new home since the win and says he’ll invest a chunk of the funds into the family’s future.
Once that has been achieved, they hope to explore Wales and the rest of the UK in their camper-van.
The couple now also have a ballooning list of overseas destinations on they are keen to explore – as long as Sarah overcomes her fear of flying.
She said: “I’ve always been scared to fly and it’s never been a serious problem, (but) now that the world really is our oyster, it feels like it’s time to do something about it.
“I didn’t think I would ever overcome my fear of flying, but then I didn’t ever think that Dave would win £1million on EuroMillions!”
Dave bought his EuroMillions ticket on the National Lottery app.
He claimed the EuroMillions UK Millionaire Maker prize by matching the winning code, which was VZDS62828.
The Millionaire Maker guarantees to turn a player into a millionaire on every draw.
