An unemployed Senegalese man who was rescued by the Spanish coast guard after making a risky journey from Morocco eight years ago on a packed wooden boat won 400,000 euros ($437,000) in Spain's annual Christmas lottery, local media reported on Wednesday.

The man, identified only by his first name Ngame, was one of the holders of one of the 1,600 tickets with the winning number - 79140 - in Tuesday's massive draw, regional daily newspaper La Voz de Almeria reported.

The tickets had been sold in the southern beach city of Roquetas de Mar in the province of Almeria where the 35-year-old lives with his wife, who joined him on the crossing to Spain.