US Republican governor candidate escapes plane crash, swims to safety after emergency lake landing

US Republican governor candidate Tom Tiffany.

Wisconsin Republican gubernatorial candidate and US Congressman Tom Tiffany escaped with minor injuries after the small plane he was travelling in lost power and made an emergency landing in Lake Wausau on Saturday night.Tiffany said he was returning from the La Crosse County Lincoln Day Dinner when the four-seat aircraft lost power as it approached Wausau Downtown Airport. The pilot then made an emergency water landing in Lake Wausau.After the plane hit the water, Tiffany and the pilot called 911. However, the aircraft began filling with water and submerging before rescuers could reach them.

Tiffany, pilot swim to shallow area

Tiffany said he and the pilot exited the plane and swam to a shallow area, where they waited for emergency responders to arrive by boat.The two were rescued and taken to Aspirus Wausau Hospital. Tiffany said both he and the pilot suffered only minor injuries.“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 in a post on X.“They got us safely off the water and transported us to Aspirus Wausau Hospital, where we received excellent care,” he added.According to CNN, dispatch audio showed authorities confirming that two people had been rescued from the plane. An official told dispatchers that both were alert and conscious.The Federal Aviation Administration said the incident was under investigation. The Marathon County Sheriff’s Office said the aircraft would be marked with a buoy and asked people to stay away from it.The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and State Patrol also responded to the scene, according to CNN affiliate WSAW.

‘God was watching over us’

Tiffany later said his wife, Chris, was with him at the hospital.“God was watching over us tonight, and I am incredibly grateful to be here in the hospital with my wife, Chris, by my side,” he said. “An experience like this reminds you just how precious life is.”Tiffany represents Wisconsin’s 7th Congressional District and is the Republican candidate for governor in the upcoming election. He won the Republican nomination with the backing of President Donald Trump.His Democratic opponent, David Crowley, said he was “grateful to God” that Tiffany and the pilot were not seriously hurt, praising the pilot’s actions during the emergency.