For This Guy, Lady Luck Trumps the Grim Reaper

Have you ever heard of a person named Bill Morgan? He’s an Australian truck driver who has seen his fair share of bad luck—I’d have to say his luck may be worse than Frane Selak — Morgan was dead for 14 minutes!

In 1999, Bill Morgan had a double dose of bad luck when he suffered a massive heart attack and a massive truck, and he died as a result. Well, he was pronounced clinically dead for 14 minutes, after which the doctors were able to get his heart pumping again. During that period, a person could suffer serious brain damage and even be in a vegetative state.

When Bill was revived, it appeared that he was in a vegetative state. He was unresponsive and in a deep coma for the next twelve days. Within those twelve days, the doctors recommended to his family that they turn off Bill’s life support—twice; but luckily, they did not. After those twelve days, he came out of his coma; he was completely fine and did not suffer any serious complications from the whole ordeal.

Bill’s New Lease on Life

After a near death experience like that while on the job, it tends to make you want to change professions, and that is what he did. Oh, and he asked his long-time girlfriend, Lisa Wells, to marry him.

Of course, she accepted.

With this new lease on life, lucky to be alive, and newly engaged, he decided to try his luck and buy a scratch-off lottery ticket. When he scratched the ticket, he won a car that was worth $17,000 Australian (today about $23,903 US and $25,099 Australian).

Well, he won a car. What is the big deal? Considering that he was clinically dead for 14 minutes, the local Melbourne news thought it was pretty special and decided to do a feature story on him.

It Just Keeps Getting Better!

When the news asked Bill to re-create the scene where he scratches the ticket to reveal he has won a car, he was eager to do it. Except, instead of turning to the camera to exclaim that he won a car, he yells something altogether different.

Yep, the guy wins the lottery live! He immediately calls his fiancé to tell her he has won $250,000 and they can finally get a house.

Needless to say, the news crew were the ones to be the first to break that story.

Bill’s luck truly had changed.