Los Osos man claims winning Mega Millions ticket

Don Seawater of Los Osos says he plays the lottery every week or two on average and doesn’t feel as though it’s a heavy expense.

“It’s a latte I didn’t drink, a soda I didn’t buy,” he told The Tribune on Wednesday.

Make that a whole lot of sodas and lattes.

Seawater bought the winning Mega Millions ticket, worth $168,814, last week in San Luis Obispo.

Seawater, who owns Pacific Coast Lumber on South Higuera Street, said he is still “trying to unravel” the implications of the win.

He and his wife might take a vacation, he said, but he still has a business to run and he doesn’t plan to spend much time away from it.

Seawater told California Lottery officials he plans to invest the money into his business. Pacific Coast Lumber is an urban forestry recycling company that makes products from salvaged trees.

“This money will go a long way toward paying my three workers and buying some new machinery for my business,” Seawater said.

He said he is not sure how much money he will end up with. He believes the lottery takes 25 percent off the top, and the government will want a cut as well, he said.

Seawater bought the ticket at Padre Deli and Liquor on South Higuera Street in San Luis Obispo.

When Seawater bought the winning ticket, he selected $3 worth of Quick Pick tickets. One of those tickets matched 51, 54, 55, 43 and 9, missing only the Mega number of 13 for what would have been a $16 million prize.

This story was originally published August 17, 2011 at 10:47 AM with the headline "Los Osos man claims winning Mega Millions ticket."