US Representative Tom Tiffany of Wisconsin and a pilot escaped safely by swimming to shore after their small aircraft experienced a mechanical failure and came down in a Wisconsin lake on Saturday night.
According to the Marathon County Sheriff's Office, the incident occurred at approximately 8:49 local time. The single-engine Beechcraft K35 was approaching the Wausau Downtown Airport when it suffered a sudden loss of power, prompting the pilot to execute an emergency landing on Lake Wausau.
Tiffany, who serves as the state's Republican gubernatorial nominee, was returning from a dinner event in La Crosse County at the time. Only the congressman and the pilot were aboard the aircraft when it touched down on the water.
Writing on social media following the incident, Tiffany explained that the pair quickly exited the sinking aircraft and swam toward a shallow section of the lake. They placed an emergency call to 911 while waiting for rescue personnel to arrive.
Emergency responders from the Wausau Fire Department reached the two men by airboat roughly fifteen minutes after the initial alert. Both occupants sustained minor injuries, including a small cut above the congressman's right eye, and were subsequently evaluated at a local hospital.
Reflecting on the ordeal, Tiffany expressed deep gratitude for their survival and thanked the first responders for their swift action. He noted that the frightening experience served as a powerful reminder of the fragility of life.
Law enforcement officials stated that the exact cause of the mechanical failure remains unknown. Federal aviation authorities, including the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board, have launched an investigation to determine what went wrong.
Recovery efforts for the submerged aircraft were initiated following the rescue. The plane remained in the lake as local emergency crews coordinated plans to safely pull the wreckage from the water.
Reporting based on coverage first published by BBC News. Read the original report at BBC News.
