Republican Rep. Tom Tiffany’s plane went down in a freak incident Saturday night.
The Wisconsin congressman, who is also running for governor, was headed for Wausau Downtown Airport following a fundraising dinner when the plane suddenly lost power.
The pilot steered the aircraft to Lake Wausau and executed an emergency water landing.
“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,” Tiffany wrote in a late-night post on X about the crash.
Tiffany, 68, sustained minor injuries, as did the private plane’s pilot.
“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,” he wrote.
“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.”
Local news station WSAW reported that the plane went down around 9 p.m., and that the Marathon County Sheriff’s Department said the plane had been marked with a buoy.
The sheriff’s department urged people to avoid the area, and said the FAA would conduct an investigation.
Tiffany said the incident “reminds you just how precious life is.”
“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 said.
His opponent for governor, David Crowley, 40, responded to the news with his own statement on X.
“I’m grateful to God that Congressman Tiffany and no one else was hurt in this horrifying incident, which could have been a tragedy if not for the heroism of the pilot,” he said.
Crowley, whose nomination win in the Democratic primary came after a rollercoaster of a race, said he wished the “Congressman a quick recovery and that they can find solace with their loved ones.”
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and State Patrol also responded to the scene, WSAW reported.
