Wisconsin Republican gubernatorial candidate and U.S.Rep.
Tom Tiffany said he and a pilot escaped with minor injuries after their small plane lost power and made an emergency landing in a lake Saturday night.Tiffany said the four-seat Bonanza was approaching Wausau Downtown Airport when it lost power following his appearance at the La Crosse County Lincoln Day Dinner."The pilot made an emergency water landing in Lake Wausau," Tiffany wrote on X.COAST GUARD PLANE WITH DHS SECRETARY MARKWAYNE MULLIN ON BOARD MAKES EMERGENCY LANDING AFTER ENGINE FAILURERepublican U.S.Rep.
Tom Tiffany, a candidate for Wisconsin governor, gives a news conference, Monday, Jan.26, 2026, in Madison, Wis.
(AP Photo/Scott Bauer)The congressman explained that he and the pilot quickly called 911 after hitting the water, but the aircraft began filling and sinking into the lake before rescuers could reach them."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 said.MULTIPLE INJURED AFTER FLOATPLANE MAKES EMERGENCY LANDING, CATCHES FIRE OFF WASHINGTON COASTRepublican Rep.Tom Tiffany of Wisconsin, a GOP gubernatorial candidate, speaks at a campaign event in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, on August 10, 2026.
(Paul Steinhauser/Fox News)Tiffany and the pilot were pulled from the lake and transported to Aspirus Wausau Hospital.Both sustained only minor injuries, according to the congressman."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.
"They got us safely off the water and transported us to Aspirus Wausau Hospital, where we received excellent care."Tiffany shared that his wife, Chris, was by his side at the hospital following the harrowing landing and water rescue."God was watching over us tonight, and I am incredibly grateful to be here in the hospital with my wife, Chris, by my side," he...