Wisconsin GOP gubernatorial nominee Tom Tiffany and his pilot escaped Saturday night with minor injuries after their small plane lost power on approach to Wausau Downtown Airport and made an emergency landing in Lake Wausau.
Tiffany posted the account early Sunday, saying he was flying home from the La Crosse County Lincoln Day Dinner in Onalaska when the aircraft lost power. The pilot put the four-seat Bonanza down on the water. After they called 911, the plane began to submerge. They climbed out, swam to a shallow area, and waited until Wausau Fire Department crews reached them by boat.
“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,” Tiffany wrote in a post on X early Sunday. “They got us safely off the water and transported us to Aspirus Wausau Hospital, where we received excellent care.”
“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 added. “An experience like this reminds you just how precious life is.”
Dispatch audio confirmed two people were rescued from the plane and that both were alert and conscious.
Tiffany, who represents Wisconsin’s 7th Congressional District and won the GOP nomination in August with the endorsement of President Donald Trump, faces Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley in the Nov. 3 general election.
The cause of the power loss remains under investigation by authorities, including the FAA. Tiffany’s campaign said he was flying in a four-seat Bonanza. Tiffany’s campaign and office have not released additional details about the flight or the extent of the injuries beyond the congressman’s statement.
