Wisconsin GOP governor candidate swims from sinking plane after emergency lake landing
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Wisconsin Republican congressman and gubernatorial candidate Tom Tiffany and his pilot escaped with only minor injuries after their small plane lost power and had to make an emergency landing on Lake Wausau on Saturday night, before sinking beneath the water. The four-seat Beechcraft Bonanza was approaching Wausau Downtown Airport when it lost power, shortly after Tiffany had spoken at the La Crosse County Lincoln Day Dinner. The episode attracted widespread attention given Tiffany's prominence in Wisconsin's upcoming governor's race, prompting a wave of relief and well-wishes online.
Tiffany said he and the pilot called 911 immediately after landing on the water, but the aircraft began filling and submerging before rescuers could arrive, forcing the pair to swim to a shallow area and await a boat rescue by emergency responders. Both men were taken to Aspirus Wausau Hospital, where they were treated for minor injuries, and Tiffany thanked the pilot, the Wausau Fire Department and other first responders, saying his wife Chris was at his side afterwards. The cause of the reported power loss remains under investigation, and no further updates followed as the story settled.
- GOP Wisconsin governor hopeful Tom Tiffany survived a plane's emergency lake landing
- Plane sank after losing power near Wausau; both men swam to safety
- Both men suffered only minor injuries; cause of failure still under investigation
New here? Start with this
Tom Tiffany is a Republican member of Congress representing Wisconsin's 7th district, and he is currently running to become the state's governor. His profile in that race is part of why an emergency plane landing involving him has drawn attention, rather than the incident being newsworthy on its own.
The event happened as Tiffany was travelling home from a political dinner in La Crosse County, flying in a small private aircraft that developed engine trouble near an airport in Wausau. The pilot brought the plane down on nearby Lake Wausau instead, and both men had to leave the aircraft as it began sinking, swimming to safety before being picked up by boat and taken to hospital.
Wisconsin's governor's race is a closely watched contest, and details about a candidate's personal safety, conduct or decision-making can carry political weight even when unrelated to policy. The precise cause of the plane's power loss has not yet been established and remains under investigation.
Full account
Tom Tiffany, the Republican congressman running to become Wisconsin's next governor, and his pilot escaped with only minor injuries on Saturday night after their light aircraft lost power and was forced into an emergency landing on Lake Wausau. The pair had to abandon the aircraft and swim to shallow water as it began sinking, before being picked up by emergency responders in a boat.
According to Tiffany's own account, posted on social media, the four-seat Beechcraft Bonanza lost power as it approached Wausau Downtown Airport while he was returning from a Republican Party dinner in La Crosse County. The pilot put the aircraft down on the lake, after which the two men telephoned emergency services. With the cabin taking on water and the plane starting to submerge, they climbed out and swam to a shallow stretch of the lake to wait for help to arrive.
Once rescued, Tiffany and the pilot were taken to Aspirus Wausau Hospital, where both were treated for minor injuries. Tiffany publicly thanked the pilot, the Wausau Fire Department and other first responders for reaching them quickly, and said he was grateful to be reunited with his wife, Chris, at the hospital afterwards. The Marathon County Sheriff's Office and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources were the first agencies on the scene, with the case since passed to the Federal Aviation Administration, which is investigating what caused the aircraft to lose power.
The incident comes as Tiffany, who has represented Wisconsin's 7th Congressional District since 2020, campaigns for governor against Democrat David Crowley ahead of November's election, with recent polling showing the contest close. News of his narrow escape prompted a wave of sympathetic messages on social media, with well-wishers expressing relief that everyone aboard the aircraft was safe.
Where outlets differ
Fox News' report leans heavily on Tiffany's own statements and quotes, including his remark that 'God was watching over us tonight', and features reactions from social media well-wishers; it focuses tightly on the immediate rescue and aftermath.
The Daily Mail-style account places more emphasis on political context, detailing the tied 44-44 percent poll against David Crowley, the succession within Tiffany's congressional seat (previously held by Sean Duffy), and the separate primary contest to replace Tiffany, involving Michael Alfonso and Trump's endorsement — none of which the other source mentions.
One source notes the plane went down at around 9pm local time, per the Marathon County Sheriff's office, and specifies that the Sheriff's office and Wisconsin DNR responded before the FAA took over the investigation; the other source does not name the responding agencies as precisely.
More coverage
- Daily Mail — Republican lawmaker Tom Tiffany in terrifying plane emergency as he's forced to swim for his life from sinking aircraft
- The Hill — Tiffany suffers minor injuries after plane makes emergency lake landing
- BBC World — US congressman swims to safety after his plane is forced to land on a lake
- NPR — Wisconsin congressman survives emergency plane landing, swims to safety
- Fox News — GOP gov candidate recounts miracle water landing as dispatch audio reveals desperate search for sinking plane