Granddaughter alerts winner to record lottery jackpot

June 11 (UPI) -- A Canadian woman said she was unaware of her record-breaking $40.4 million lottery jackpot until her granddaughter told her the winning ticket had been sold locally.

Laura Tutcho of Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, told NWT & Nunavut Lotteries officials she had purchased a ticket for the May 1 Lotto Max drawing at the Reddi Mart convenience store in Yellowknife, but she forgot to check the numbers after the drawing until a conversation with her granddaughter.

"My granddaughter told me that someone in Yellowknife won the jackpot," Tutcho recalled. "So I went on the Internet to check the numbers."

Tutcho said she was shocked to see she had matched all seven winning numbers: 3-12-25-36-37-42-49.

"I was in shock," Tutcho said. "I said, 'Oh, my god!' My grandkids came in right away, and my grandson asked, 'Are you all right, grandma?'"

The grandmother said she checked the numbers multiple times in disbelief.

"I just kept looking at the ticket, and looking back at the numbers. My granddaughter told me, 'The numbers haven't changed, grandma!'" she said.

Tutcho's ticket was the only one to match all seven numbers, earning a $40.4 million jackpot -- the largest lottery jackpot in Northwest Territories history. She said she plans to use her winnings to help her family.