Italian Sanitation Crew Recovers $1.15M Lost Lottery Slip

A lucky lottery player in the Italian town of Bitonto nearly lost a life changing fortune of $1.15 million after matching all five numbers in the MillionDay draw on July 31. Believing the ticket was a loser due to a misunderstanding of the receipt, the player threw the slip straight into the household garbage.

Realizing the mistake days later, the panicked winner contacted local public waste company SANB for help. Workers managed to halt the garbage compactor just before the waste reached the landfill, launching an early morning search at 5:30 a.m. four days after the disposal.

Against all odds, the sanitation crew recovered the winning ticket completely intact from the tons of trash. The lucky player can now claim the huge cash prize, proving that quick action and a bit of luck can save even the worst mistakes.