Wisconsin Congressman Swims to Safety After Plane Makes Emergency Landing in Lake

Wisconsin Rep. Tom Tiffany survived a frightening plane accident Saturday night after the small aircraft he was traveling in lost power and was forced to make an emergency landing in Lake Wausau. Tiffany and the pilot escaped the sinking aircraft and swam to shallow water, where they waited for emergency responders to reach them by boat.

Tiffany, a Republican who is running for governor of Wisconsin, was returning from the La Crosse County Lincoln Day Dinner when the incident occurred. The single-engine Beechcraft Bonanza was approaching Wausau Downtown Airport when it experienced a loss of power, leaving the pilot with little choice but to make an emergency water landing.

Tiffany said the pilot, identified as 73-year-old Leonard Boltz, attempted to deal with the loss of power before putting the plane down on the lake. After the aircraft hit the water, Tiffany and Boltz called 911, but the plane began to submerge before rescuers could reach them.

“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.”

The two men reportedly swam roughly 100 to 150 feet toward shallow water before firefighters arrived by airboat. The Wausau Fire Department reached them approximately 16 minutes after the initial 911 call, and both men were taken to shore before being transported to Aspirus Wausau Hospital.

Tiffany suffered a cut above his right eye that required 12 stitches, while Boltz received four stitches. Both men were treated and released from the hospital, and officials said neither suffered serious injuries.

Tiffany expressed gratitude toward the pilot and the emergency personnel who responded to the crash. “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,” Tiffany said.

The congressman also reflected on the experience after arriving at the hospital. “God was watching over us tonight,” Tiffany said, adding that the experience reminded him “just how precious life is.”

The aircraft remained in Lake Wausau Sunday, with authorities marking its location with a buoy and asking boaters to stay away from the area. The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the incident, while the National Transportation Safety Board is awaiting the FAA’s assessment before determining whether it will participate in the investigation.

Tiffany represents Wisconsin’s 7th Congressional District and recently won the Republican nomination for governor. He will face Democratic nominee David Crowley, the Milwaukee County executive, in the November 3rd general election.

Crowley, Tiffany’s Democratic opponent, also responded to the incident, expressing relief that neither Tiffany nor the pilot suffered more serious injuries. “I’m grateful to God that Congressman Tiffany and no one else was hurt in this horrifying incident,” Crowley said, calling the pilot’s actions heroic.

Despite the frightening accident, Tiffany indicated that the incident would not end his campaign. The congressman emerged from the crash with minor injuries after what could have been a far more serious accident, while investigators now work to determine why the aircraft lost power in the first place.