Emergency Water Landing Involves Congressman Tom Tiffany
Representative Tom Tiffany recently reported experiencing minor injuries after the plane he was on made an emergency landing in a body of water in central Wisconsin.
On Saturday, the aircraft lost power, prompting the pilot to perform an emergency landing in Lake Wausau. Tiffany shared the details of the incident via a post on X.
As the plane began to sink, Tiffany and the pilot managed to swim to safety and waited in shallow water for emergency services. Tiffany noted that both he and the pilot “sustained only minor injuries.”
“God was watching over us tonight, and I am incredibly grateful to be here in the hospital with my wife, Chris, by my side,” Tiffany expressed. “An experience like this reminds you just how precious life is.”
According to early reports from the Marathon County Sheriff’s Office, the single-engine aircraft encountered a mechanical problem while approaching Wausau Downtown Airport shortly before 9:00 p.m. on Saturday.
The 68-year-old congressman and the 73-year-old pilot, Leonard Boltz, exited the plane before calling 911. They managed to swim to shallow water, where a fire department airboat rescued them around 9:05 p.m. Both were treated for minor injuries at a nearby hospital.
Authorities, including the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), have been alerted to investigate the occurrence.
Tiffany, who joined the House in 2020, recently secured the Republican nomination for Wisconsin governor in August, receiving an endorsement from Donald Trump earlier in January. He is preparing to face Democrat opponent David Crowley, the Milwaukee County Executive, in November for the gubernatorial position.
In response to the incident, Crowley expressed his relief that no one was severely injured and praised the pilot’s actions.
“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 stated.
