MADISON, WI − The small plane carrying Rep. Tom Tiffany home from a campaign event lost power late Sept. 12, forcing the pilot to make an emergency landing in Lake Wausau where Tiffany swam to a shallow area to wait for help.
Tiffany, the Republican nominee for Wisconsin governor, reported the harrowing incident in a news release early Sept. 13, 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.
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.
“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.”
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.”