WAUSAU, Wis. — Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany said he swam to safety after the small plane he was aboard made an emergency landing in a lake late Saturday.
Tiffany said he was flying back from the La Crosse County Lincoln Day Dinner when the aircraft lost power while approaching Wausau Downtown Airport. The pilot brought the plane down in Lake Wausau, and both men ended up in the water before swimming to safety.
“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,” Tiffany wrote on X.
The Marathon County Sheriff’s Office said the emergency landing occurred shortly before 9 p.m. Saturday. Tiffany and pilot Leonard Boltz got out of the aircraft and called 911. Fire department responders reached them in an airboat just after 9 p.m., authorities said.
Both men were taken to a nearby hospital, treated for minor injuries and released. Tiffany’s campaign said in an emailed statement that he received stitches for a cut above his right eye.
READ MORE: Raz B Thanks Fans for Support Before Funeral for 3-Month-Old Son Astro
Authorities placed a no-wake buoy near the aircraft, which remained in the lake, and asked boaters to stay clear until it can be removed. A Federal Aviation Administration spokesperson said the agency will investigate. The National Transportation Safety Board said it is awaiting the FAA’s assessment of whether the plane sustained substantial damage that would warrant NTSB involvement.
Tiffany is seeking Wisconsin’s governorship as a Republican and has received an endorsement from President Donald Trump.
Democratic candidate David Crowley wished Tiffany a “quick recovery” in an X post and praised the “heroism of the pilot.”
The aircraft carrying Tiffany was a single-engine, four-seat Beechcraft Bonanza.
Copyright © 2026 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.