The small plane carrying Republican candidate for Wisconsin governor Tom Tiffany home from a campaign event lost power Saturday night, forcing the pilot to make an emergency landing in Lake Wausau, where Tiffany swam to a shallow area to wait for help.
Tiffany reported the harrowing incident in a news release early Sunday, saying he and the pilot sustained only minor injuries.
"God was watching over us tonight, and I am incredibly grateful to be here in the hospital with my wife, Chris, by my side. An experience like this reminds you just how precious life is," Tiffany said in a statement.
He later said he "suffered a laceration above his right eye that required stitches," and that he and the pilot had been released from the hospital Sunday morning.
Tiffany said he was on a four-seat Beechcraft Bonanza airplane coming home from the La Crosse County Lincoln Day Dinner to the Wausau area, where he lives.
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"After landing, we called 911. As the plane began to submerge, we exited the aircraft and swam to a shallow area, where we waited until emergency responders reached us by boat," he said.
“I want to express my deepest gratitude to the pilot, the Wausau Fire Department, and all of the first responders who came to our aid so quickly," he said. "They got us safely off the water and transported us to Aspirus Wausau Hospital, where we received excellent care."
A small plane carrying Rep. Tom Tiffany, the Republican candidate for Wisconsin governor, made an emergency landing on a lake Saturday night.
Wausau Fire Chief Jeremy Kopp confirmed the plane made an emergency landing in the water.
"We responded with our airboat," Kopp said in an interview with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "The two people who were in the plane were transported to the hospital with minor injuries."
According to the Marathon County Sheriff's Office, the county 911 center received a call for help at 8:49 p.m. on Saturday after the plane "experienced a mechanical issue" while approaching the Wausau airport.
Leonard Boltz of Pearson was the plane's pilot, according to the sheriff's office. Boltz and Tiffany were rescued from Lake Wausau at 9:05 p.m. by the Wausau Fire Department.
The plane sunk and remains in Lake Wausau, the department said. The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the incident, according to the sheriff's office.
Tiffany's opponent David Crowley said he wished Tiffany a quick recovery.
"I’m grateful to God that Congressman Tiffany and no one else was hurt in this horrifying incident, which could have been a tragedy if not for the heroism of the pilot," Crowley said in a post on X.
"I wish them and the Congressman a quick recovery and that they can find solace with their loved ones."
