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Wisconsin GOP Governor Candidate Survives Emergency Lake Landing After Plane Sinks
Confirmed
In Short: Wisconsin Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Tiffany and a pilot escaped with minor injuries after their plane made an emergency water landing in Lake Wausau and began to sink.
Wisconsin Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Tiffany and a pilot survived an emergency water landing in Lake Wausau after their small plane lost power and began to submerge.
Tiffany and the pilot quickly exited the aircraft and swam to safety, waiting for emergency responders to arrive by boat.
The incident occurred as the plane approached Wausau Downtown Airport, with Tiffany sustaining minor injuries and being transported to Aspirus Wausau Hospital for care.
The investigation is expected to be handed over to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and may involve the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) for further examination of the aircraft and the circumstances surrounding the emergency landing.
Tiffany, who launched his campaign for governor in September 2025, is currently the Republican nominee and will face Democrat David Crowley in the upcoming election.
What's confirmed
- Wisconsin Republican gubernatorial candidate and U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany said he and a pilot escaped with minor injuries after their small plane lost power and made an emergency landing in a lake Saturday night.
- "The pilot made an emergency water landing in Lake Wausau," Tiffany wrote on X.
- "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," Tiffany said.
What's still developing
- The congressman explained that he and the pilot quickly called 911 after hitting the water, but the aircraft began filling and sinking into the lake before rescuers could reach them.
- Tom Tiffany of Wisconsin take aim at likely Democratic nominee Francesca Hong in a Fox News Digital interview.
- "They got us safely off the water and transported us to Aspirus Wausau Hospital, where we received excellent care." Tiffany shared that his wife, Chris, was by his side at the hospital following the harrowing landing and water rescue.
- Rescue teams were called to reports of a downed plane with two people in the water, emergency services’ radio communications obtained by NBC News indicate.
- The pilot then landed the plane on the water, according to a statement Tiffany posted on X.
- A report attributed to the Marathon County Sheriff’s Office said a private aircraft went into Lake Wausau at about 9 p.m.
- The aircraft was a four-seat Beechcraft Bonanza, a single-engine plane commonly used for private and business travel.
- Tiffany represents Wisconsin’s 7th Congressional District and is endorsed by President Donald Trump in the Nov.