U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, the Republican nominee for Wisconsin governor, says he sustains minor injuries after a light aircraft makes an emergency water landing on Lake Wausau. Tiffany and the pilot end up in the water and swim to safety after the plane is forced down.
Tiffany says the incident occurs late Saturday as he is returning from a Lincoln Day dinner in La Crosse County. He reports that the light aircraft loses power as it approaches Wausau Downtown Airport, prompting the pilot to land on the lake. After landing, both people exit the aircraft as it submerges and move to a shallow area. Tiffany says they contact 911 and wait for emergency responders, who reach them by boat.
According to the outlets, emergency responders take Tiffany and the pilot to a nearby hospital, where they are treated for minor injuries. Sources align on the basic account of an engine/power problem, a water landing, and safe rescue, while differing mainly in emphasis and wording. One outlet specifies the aircraft as a single-engine, four-seat Bonanza.
