A Wisconsin congressman and his pilot were forced to abandon a small aircraft Saturday evening after the plane lost power and crash-landed in Lake Wausau, according to local authorities.
U.S. Representative Tom Tiffany, a Republican representing Wisconsin, was aboard the single-engine plane piloted by Leonard Boltz when the aircraft experienced mechanical failure while approaching Wausau Downtown Airport. The Marathon County Sheriff's Office confirmed that Boltz executed an emergency landing on the lake.
Both occupants evacuated the aircraft as it began taking on water and made their way to a shallow section of the lake, where they remained until rescue crews arrived by boat. The ordeal lasted approximately 20 minutes from the time of the emergency call to their rescue, according to Marathon County Sheriff's Office Lt. Cory Gladden.
"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 wrote in a post on X.
The congressman had been returning from the La Crosse County Lincoln Day Dinner in Onalaska when the incident occurred. Tiffany is currently Wisconsin's Republican gubernatorial nominee.
"The 911 call had come in from one of the occupants of the plane. They were able to exit the plane and made the call while they were basically standing on top of the plane," Gladden told Wisconsin Public Radio.
Tiffany sustained a laceration above his right eye that required stitches but was released from the hospital following treatment. Boltz also received medical attention for minor injuries, the Sheriff's Office reported.
Preliminary information suggests the plane suffered mechanical failure, though the exact cause remains under investigation. The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board will conduct a formal investigation into the emergency landing.
The incident marks a harrowing moment for Tiffany, who has represented Wisconsin in Congress and is now campaigning for the state's highest office. Both men's quick response in evacuating the sinking aircraft and summoning emergency services likely prevented a more serious outcome.
