Wisconsin candidate Tom Tiffany survives emergency plane landing in Lake Wausau

Emergency landing on Lake Wausau

Representative Tom Tiffany, the Republican candidate for governor of Wisconsin, survived an emergency water landing on Saturday night after his aircraft lost engine power. The 68-year-old lawmaker was returning from the La Crosse County Lincoln Day Dinner to Wausau Downtown Airport aboard a single-engine Beechcraft K35 Bonanza. As the aircraft approached the airport around 8:50 p.m., the engine failed, forcing pilot Leonard Boltz, a retired Air Force pilot, to ditch the airplane into Lake Wausau. Boltz instructed Tiffany to tighten his seatbelt seconds before impact, warning that the aircraft was going down.

Pull your seat belt tight. I gave it a yank and pulled it good and tight. It was probably about 10 seconds later, we hit the water.

Escape from the sinking aircraft

Following the impact on the water, the aircraft remained afloat briefly before beginning to sink. Tiffany and Boltz stood on top of the fuselage for approximately ten minutes as water filled the cabin. When the plane began to submerge entirely, both men jumped into the lake and swam between 100 and 150 feet (30 to 45 meters) toward the shoreline. They reached a shallow area where the water depth was about 1.5 meters, allowing them to stand safely. Tiffany lost his phone in the lake during the incident, while Boltz used his device to call 911 from the water.

Emergency response and medical care

The Marathon County Sheriff's Office and local emergency units deployed rescue boats, thermal imaging cameras, and ground teams to locate the men in the darkness. A local resident also provided a private boat to help first responders search the area. A Wausau Fire Department airboat reached Tiffany and Boltz shortly after 9:00 p.m., bringing both men ashore. Paramedics transported the two survivors to a local hospital for evaluation and treatment of minor cuts.

Tiffany sustained a laceration over his right eye that required 12 stitches, while Boltz received four stitches for his injuries. Both men were discharged from the medical facility after receiving care. Tiffany stated at a Sunday press conference that he and Boltz maintained good spirits by making jokes during the ordeal, though the seriousness of the event became apparent after their release from the hospital.

We're really fortunate that God was looking after us last night.

Investigation and campaign status

Authorities placed a no-wake buoy over the submerged Beechcraft Bonanza in Lake Wausau, and the sheriff's office urged local boaters to keep clear of the site until recovery crews extract the aircraft on Monday. The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board opened investigations to determine the cause of the engine failure. Tiffany, who has the endorsement of Donald Trump in the gubernatorial election, confirmed that the accident will not affect his campaign activities. Democratic gubernatorial candidate David Crowley posted a message wishing Tiffany a quick recovery while commending Boltz for his piloting during the emergency.