Wisconsin Republican gubernatorial contender and U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany said he and a pilot suffered minor injuries Saturday night after their small aircraft lost power and was forced to land in a lake.
Tiffany said the four-seat Beechcraft Bonanza was nearing Wausau Downtown Airport after he attended the La Crosse County Lincoln Day Dinner when the engine lost power.
“The pilot made an emergency water landing in Lake Wausau,” Tiffany said in a post on X.
After the plane struck the water, Tiffany and the pilot called 911. The aircraft, however, began taking on water and sank before rescue crews were able to reach them.
Tiffany said the two men escaped as the plane submerged, then swam toward a shallow section of the lake. They remained there until emergency responders arrived by boat.
Rescuers brought Tiffany and the pilot out of the water and took them to Aspirus Wausau Hospital. Tiffany said both men were treated for minor injuries.
Tiffany thanked the pilot, the Wausau Fire Department and other first responders for their swift response. He said the crews safely removed them from the lake and provided transportation to Aspirus Wausau Hospital, where they received excellent care.
The congressman also said his wife, Chris, joined him at the hospital after the emergency landing and rescue.
“God was watching over us tonight, and I am incredibly grateful to be here in the hospital with my wife, Chris, by my side,” Tiffany said. “An experience like this reminds you just how precious life is.”
After Tiffany described the close call online, social media users responded with prayers, support and relief that both men survived the lake landing.
“My god! What an ordeal. Very grateful everyone is safe,” one person wrote.
“Very glad you are okay, Congressman Tiffany,” another commenter said.
“Prayers to you and everyone aboard that flight!” a third person wrote. “So thankful you are all alive and able to see your loved ones.”
Tiffany currently represents Wisconsin’s 7th Congressional District and is running as the Republican candidate for governor in the state’s upcoming election.
The cause of the reported power loss remains under investigation.
