Rep. Tom Tiffany, the Republican nominee for governor of Wisconsin, escaped with minor injuries Saturday night after the small plane carrying him lost power and made an emergency landing in Lake Wausau.
Tiffany and the pilot were the only two people aboard the four-seat Bonanza aircraft when it encountered trouble while approaching Wausau Downtown Airport.
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“While returning home from the La Crosse County Lincoln Day Dinner, the plane I was traveling in lost power as we approached the Wausau Downtown Airport. The pilot made an emergency water landing in Lake Wausau,” Tiffany said in the statement.
“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 added.
Tiffany expressed his “deepest gratitude to the pilot, the Wausau Fire Department, and all of the first responders who came to our aid so quickly.”
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“They got us safely off the water and transported us to Aspirus Wausau Hospital, where we received excellent care. Thankfully, both the pilot and I sustained only minor injuries,” he said.
“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,” he added.
The congressman said he was returning from the La Crosse County Lincoln Day Dinner in Onalaska when the plane suddenly lost power.
After the plane touched down in the lake it then began to sink, forcing both men to quickly exit the aircraft and swim toward a shallow area of the lake.
Breaking: Wisconsin GOP governor candidate swims to safety after plane lands in lake https://t.co/UwOTdEU23w
— John Solomon (@jsolomonReports) September 13, 2026
They waited there until emergency crews arrived by boat and brought them to shore.
Tiffany and the pilot were transported to Aspirus Wausau Hospital, where both were treated for minor injuries.
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He added that emergency personnel got both men safely off the water and to the hospital.
Tiffany also said his wife, Chris, joined him at the hospital following the accident.
The cause of the aircraft’s loss of power was not immediately clear, reports said.
The Federal Aviation Administration is expected to review the incident, and preliminary information could be released as investigators examine the aircraft and circumstances surrounding the emergency landing.
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Tiffany, 68, currently represents Wisconsin’s 7th Congressional District and is the Republican nominee in the state’s open gubernatorial race.
He is running against Democratic nominee David Crowley, the Milwaukee County executive, in the Nov. 3 election.
Crowley responded to the accident by expressing relief that Tiffany and the pilot escaped serious injury.
“Thank God that Congressman Tiffany and the pilot are safe,” Crowley said, while praising the pilot’s actions during the emergency landing.
Tiffany entered the governor’s race after Democratic Gov. Tony Evers announced he would not seek another term.
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President Donald Trump endorsed Tiffany in the Republican contest, and the congressman went on to secure the GOP nomination.
Saturday’s accident occurred after Tiffany attended the Lincoln Day Dinner as part of his campaign schedule.
The emergency landing temporarily interrupted that campaign, although Tiffany’s statement indicated he was recovering and suffered no serious injuries.
Authorities have not announced whether the aircraft will be recovered immediately from Lake Wausau or how long the investigation into the mechanical failure may take.
For now, the most significant outcome is that both people aboard survived.
The plane lost power only moments before reaching the airport, but the pilot was able to bring it down on the lake, allowing Tiffany and the pilot to escape the sinking aircraft and reach shallow water before rescuers arrived.
This article may contain commentary which reflects the author’s opinion.
