North Carolina Man 'Tickled To Death' After Winning Lottery Jackpot

A lucky lottery player in North Carolina had his dreams come true after he landed a massive $130,000 win this week.

Dean Heffernan , of Edenton, has always had a dream that he would win a big lottery prize, and that dream finally was made true when he purchased a winning Cash 5 Quick Pick ticket from the Speedway on Virginia Road, according to a release from the NC Education Lottery .

"I've always dreamed about winning," he said. "This is a dream come true."

The Chowan County man, who enjoys playing lottery games but has never scored a prize like the one he just landed, beat the odds of 1 in 962,598 to match all five what balls called during the Thursday (June 20) night drawing to win the $130,000 jackpot. He discovered he won while checking his ticket the following morning.

"My heart beat out of my chest ," he said, laughing.

Heffernan claimed his prize at lottery headquarters on Friday (June 21), taking home an impressive $92,951 after all required state and federal tax withholdings. According to lottery officials, he plans to use his new winnings to set up a trust fund for his son.

"I'm just tickled to death right now," he said, adding, "Winning this is just awesome."