No joke: Crane operator lowers Thai official into manhole to help woman retrieve winning lottery ticket

Striking the lottery is a battle won — but it's not over till it's over.

One woman living in northeastern Thailand learnt that the hard way when she was nearly unable to claim her prize, no thanks to a gust of wind which swept the ticket away.

According to Thai media Sanook, the 54-year-old punter was on her way to claim her lottery winnings of 4,000 baht (S$147) when she accidentally dropped the two tickets which landed on the ground.

Both tickets were then blown into a nearby sewer measuring approximately two metres deep. One of the two lottery tickets was the winning slip.

Noticing the woman's distress, a police officer approached her and asked what had happened. Other local officials were then called in to help the punter retrieve the tickets.

A clip of the rescue operation circulating online showed a crane lowering an official into the manhole. He successfully retrieves the lottery tickets, which are handed to the woman, before he is hoisted out.

Thankfully, the tickets were still in good condition as the water in the sewer had dried up due to the recent hot weather.

Subsequently, the woman used her lottery winnings to treat the officials to drinks as a token of gratitude for their help.

Sanook reported that the woman frequently purchases lottery tickets, but it was her first time winning.

While the cash prize was not a large sum, the woman admitted that she would have been unable to eat nor sleep if the ticket had been washed away.

ALSO READ: Where's the ticket? Thai couple wins over $1m in lottery but can't claim it

lim.kewei@asiaone.com