New Zealand man wins $1M lottery after being skipped in line

TAURANGA, New Zealand, Sept. 29 (UPI) -- A New Zealand man won a $1 million lottery prize after being skipped in line by another customer while purchasing his ticket.

The winning ticket was purchased by a man, who chose to remain anonymous, at a Pak N Save Papamoa convenience store, according to a New Zealand Lottery press release.

"I was waiting in line at the Lotto shop and another customer nipped in front of me," the winner said in a statement, according to the New Zealand Herald. "I wasn't in any hurry, so I just let them go ahead and didn't say anything. I guess good karma pays off -- if that hadn't happened, they might have had the winning ticket not me."

The man showed his calm and patient nature after he purchased the ticket, as he waited several days before checking if he was a winner.

"I had a bit of time before work, so jumped online and checked the numbers on MyLotto -- it didn't take long for me to realize that I had all the numbers," he said. "My mind went blank and I wasn't thinking properly, so I just put the ticket away and went to work as usual."

The winner and his wife eventually claimed the prize at the local lottery office and plan to use the winnings to purchase a house.

"We're not too sure what else we'll do just yet. But whatever we end up deciding, we know the win will make a massive difference to our family -- we're just absolutely thrilled," he said.