GOP Rep. Tom Tiffany Makes Emergency Landing In Lake After Plane Loses Power
A Wisconsin congressman escaped a sinking plane and swam to shore Saturday night after the aircraft lost power and dropped into a lake.
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Republican Rep. Tom Tiffany, now running for Wisconsin governor, said on X that he was flying home from the La Crosse County Lincoln Day Dinner when the plane failed on its approach to Wausau Downtown Airport. The pilot brought the aircraft down onto Lake Wausau, and the two men called for help once they hit the water.
The situation turned dangerous fast. According to Tiffany’s account, the plane started taking on water and going under before rescuers could get to them. (RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: Tom Tiffany Touts Multi-Million-Dollar Haul To Flip Wisconsin Red)
“After landing, we called 911,” Tiffany said in the post. “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.”
The Marathon County Sheriff’s Office told MPR News the plane went down just before 9 p.m. and identified the pilot as Leonard Boltz. Records cited by Fox News described the aircraft as a four-seat Bonanza. A sheriff’s office timeline reported by CNN placed the mechanical trouble at roughly 8:49 p.m., with a Wausau Fire Department airboat pulling both men from the water at 9:05 p.m.
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CNN reported that it verified dispatch audio in which an official at the scene told dispatchers, “Boat heads back to landing with two victims.” The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and State Patrol also worked the response, CNN reported, and the Federal Aviation Administration has taken over the investigation.
Crews took Tiffany and Boltz to Aspirus Wausau Hospital, where both were treated for minor injuries. In his post, Tiffany credited the pilot, the Wausau Fire Department and other responders for reaching them quickly and said his wife, Chris, was with him afterward. “An experience like this reminds you just how precious life is,” Tiffany said.
His Democratic rival in the governor’s race weighed in as well. David Crowley said he was “grateful to God that Congressman Tiffany and no one else was hurt in this horrifying incident,” according to CBS News, and wished both men a fast recovery.
The FAA continues to review what caused the failure.
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