Tom Tiffany treated for minor injuries after plane lands on Lake Wausau
Goldlaner.com – Wisconsin Rep. Tom Tiffany was taken to a hospital with minor injuries after a small plane carrying him and its pilot made an emergency landing on Lake Wausau on Saturday night.
Tiffany, a Republican congressman and his party’s nominee in Wisconsin’s governor’s race, said the incident happened as he was returning home from the La Crosse County Lincoln Day Dinner in Onalaska. The aircraft was nearing Wausau Downtown Airport when it lost power, prompting the pilot to bring it down on the water.
The landing put both people in a dangerous situation as the plane began taking on water. Tiffany said he and the pilot were able to get out of the aircraft, swim to a shallow section of the lake and wait there until rescuers arrived.
“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 said.
Emergency crews removed the two men from the water and transported them to Aspirus Wausau Hospital. Tiffany said they received medical care there and described his injuries as minor.
Dispatch communications from the response indicate that a person aboard the aircraft called 911 after the emergency developed. Later radio traffic confirmed that two occupants had been rescued and were being brought back to shore. Both were described as alert and conscious.
“Boat heads back to landing with two victims,” an official at the scene told dispatchers. “Both are alert and conscious.”
Aircraft to remain marked in the lake
The plane was expected to remain in Lake Wausau while officials handle the response and investigation. The Marathon County Sheriff’s Office said the aircraft would be identified with a buoy and urged members of the public to avoid the area.
Water landings can create additional hazards after an aircraft comes down, particularly when a plane is partially submerged or its condition is still being assessed. Keeping boaters and other visitors away gives emergency personnel room to work and helps preserve the scene for investigators.
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources personnel and State Patrol officers also responded. The Federal Aviation Administration will take over the investigation into the event. Such inquiries typically focus on the aircraft’s condition, the loss of power described by Tiffany, weather and operating circumstances, and the pilot’s actions before the landing.
No further details about the plane, its flight path or the cause of the power loss were immediately released. The available information indicates that the pilot’s decision to land on the lake allowed both occupants to escape before the aircraft submerged further.
Tiffany reflects on the rescue
Tiffany said the experience underscored how quickly an ordinary trip home can become an emergency. He credited the pilot and first responders for getting the occupants safely off the water.
“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.
The congressman represents Wisconsin in the US House and is a member of the far-right House Freedom Caucus. He secured the Republican nomination for governor in the state’s primary elections with support from President Donald Trump.
His Democratic opponent, David Crowley, responded with a message of support after learning of the crash. Crowley said the incident could have become far more serious and praised the pilot’s actions.
“I wish them and the Congressman a quick recovery and that they can find solace with their loved ones,” Crowley said.
The emergency drew attention because it involved a prominent statewide candidate, but the immediate outcome was shaped by the successful rescue of both people aboard. Tiffany’s account places the decisive moments after the plane lost power near the airport, when the pilot chose a water landing and the occupants escaped into the lake.
Investigators will determine what led to the apparent mechanical or operational emergency. For now, officials are asking the public to give responders space around the marked aircraft as recovery and investigative work continues.
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