Rep. Tom Tiffany’s (R-WI) plane made an emergency landing in a lake after losing power, forcing him to swim to safety.
Tiffany was flying back from the La Crosse County Lincoln Day Dinner on a Beechcraft K35 when the aircraft suddenly lost power, forcing the pilot to make an emergency landing in Lake Wausau. Tiffany and the pilot were the only two on board, and both swam to safety mostly unharmed.
“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 wrote in a post on X.
“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 added.
According to a statement from Tiffany’s gubernatorial campaign team, the congressman suffered a laceration above his right eye that required a brief hospital visit and stitches. The pilot was also briefly hospitalized.
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“Tom and his family thank God that neither suffered more serious injuries and are grateful for the exceptional care he received at Aspirus Wausau Hospital,” the campaign said. “Tom also wants to again thank the pilot, the Wausau Fire Department, law enforcement, first responders, and everyone who helped get them safely off the water. He will address the media later today in Wausau.”
The investigation into the K35’s loss of power will be handled by the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board.