GOP governor candidate escapes submerging plane after Lake landing

Republican Wisconsin gubernatorial candidate and U.S. Representative Tom Tiffany said he and a pilot escaped with minor injuries after their small plane lost power and made an emergency water landing in Lake Wausau on Saturday night.

Tiffany said he was returning from the La Crosse County Lincoln Day Dinner when the aircraft lost power as it approached Wausau Downtown Airport. The pilot then landed the plane on the water, according to a statement Tiffany posted on X.

“After landing, we called 911,” Tiffany said. “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.”

A report attributed to the Marathon County Sheriff’s Office said a private aircraft went into Lake Wausau at about 9 p.m. Saturday. Local reports said two people sustained minor injuries and were taken to a hospital.

Tiffany said the Wausau Fire Department and other first responders removed the pair from the water and took them to Aspirus Wausau Hospital.

“Thankfully, both the pilot and I sustained only minor injuries,” he said.

Tiffany also thanked the pilot and emergency crews, adding: “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.”

This is a breaking news story and will be updated.