Wisconsin Representative Tom Tiffany survived a harrowing plane crash on Saturday night when his aircraft lost power and executed an emergency water landing in Lake Wausau, leaving the Republican gubernatorial hopeful with minor injuries.
Late-Night Power Failure Over Wausau
The incident occurred at approximately 9:00 p.m. local time as a four-seat Beechcraft Bonanza was approaching the Wausau Downtown Airport, according to reports from the Marathon County Sheriff’s Office. Rep. Tom Tiffany was returning home from the La Crosse County Lincoln Day Dinner at the time of the sudden power failure.
Moments Before Impact
According to statements given by Tiffany to Fox News, the pilot warned him moments before impact.
“As we were making that final turn before we were going to approach for landing, the pilot turned to me and said, ‘Tom, we are going down, pull your seatbelt as tight as possible,'” Tiffany recalled. “It was like staring into the abyss. And you don’t know how far down it is.”
After yanking his seatbelt tight, Tiffany said the aircraft struck the water just seconds later. Despite hitting the lake hard, the aircraft remained upright. “The plane stayed upright, thankfully as a result of the skilled work of the pilot, and we looked at each other and said, ‘Are you okay?'” Tiffany said.
Evacuation in the Darkness
With the damaged aircraft beginning to submerge in the darkness, both occupants worked quickly to evacuate. Tiffany instructed the pilot to force open the door.
Once free of the sinking cabin, Tiffany and the pilot swam to a shallow area near the shoreline, where they waited for emergency help. The Marathon County Sheriff’s Office, along with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, responded to the scene and rescued the pair by boat.
Tiffany sustained a gash above his eye that required 12 stitches, which marked his only physical injury from the crash. The unnamed pilot suffered minor injuries requiring four stitches. The stricken aircraft was subsequently hauled out of Lake Wausau on Monday.
The Road Ahead on the Campaign Trail
The aviation accident comes during a busy stretch of the campaign trail for Tiffany, who has represented Wisconsin’s 7th Congressional District since 2020 after winning the seat previously held by Sean Duffy.
Tiffany is running in the November gubernatorial election against Democrat David Crowley. A head-to-head poll released following the August 11 primary showed Crowley leading Tiffany 49 to 44 among likely voters, with the two candidates tied at 44% among registered voters.
The cause of the aircraft’s sudden loss of power remains under investigation.
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