Wisconsin Republican congressman and gubernatorial nominee Tom Tiffany has described the terrifying seconds before the small plane he was traveling in crashed into Lake Wausau, recalling how the pilot suddenly warned him that they were going down.
Tiffany was returning from the La Crosse County Lincoln Day Dinner on Saturday night when the four-seat aircraft lost power while approaching Wausau Downtown Airport.
Speaking to Fox News on Monday, Tiffany said the warning came during the final turn before the intended landing.
Pilot Issued a Sudden Warning
Tiffany said the pilot turned toward him and instructed him to tighten his seat belt as much as possible.
“Tom, we are going down, pull your seat belt as tight as possible.”
The congressman said he immediately followed the instruction, but had little time to process what was happening before the aircraft struck the water.
He described the experience as being “like staring into the abyss,” saying he could not tell how deep the water was beneath them.
“I pulled that seat belt as tight as I could and it was just a couple seconds later, we hit the water and we hit it hard,” Tiffany recalled.
Aircraft Stayed Upright After Impact
Despite the force of the crash, the plane remained intact and upright after landing in Lake Wausau.
Tiffany credited the pilot’s skill for helping them survive the impact.
Once the aircraft stopped moving, the two men checked on each other before realizing they had to get out quickly.
The plane had been damaged and was beginning to sink, leaving them with little time to escape.
Tiffany Forced His Way Out Into the Water
Tiffany said he immediately told the pilot to open the aircraft door.
The pair managed to get out of the plane and began swimming toward a shallower part of the lake while waiting for rescuers to arrive.
Local law enforcement officers and other emergency responders eventually reached them by boat.
“I can’t thank them enough for what they did, but it’s by the grace of God that we are here today,” Tiffany said.
The congressman said the entire ordeal happened so quickly that he has found it difficult to reconstruct every detail.
“It happened really quickly,” he said, explaining that he and the pilot were out of the aircraft soon after the crash and were left trying to piece together the sequence afterward.
Crash Left Both Men With Minor Injuries
Tiffany suffered a cut above his eye that required 12 stitches.
He said it was his only injury.
The pilot also escaped with minor injuries and received four stitches.
Both men were taken from the lake and transported to Aspirus Wausau Hospital, where they received treatment.
Tiffany later expressed his gratitude to the first responders who rescued them and helped transport them to the hospital.
“Each of us had very minor injuries,” he said. “Once again thanks to the grace of God.”
Emergency Landing Followed Engine Power Loss
Tiffany initially announced the incident shortly after the crash, explaining that the aircraft had lost power while approaching Wausau Downtown Airport.
He said the pilot responded by making an emergency water landing in Lake Wausau.
After the plane came down, the two occupants called 911 before escaping as the aircraft began to submerge.
They then swam to a shallow area and waited for emergency crews.
The Marathon County Sheriff’s Office and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources were among the agencies that responded.
Plane Recovered From Lake Wausau
The damaged aircraft remained in Lake Wausau until Monday, when crews hauled it out of the water in Wausau, Wisconsin.
The Marathon County Sheriff’s Office had reported that the private plane went down at approximately 9 p.m. local time Saturday.
The precise reason the aircraft lost power has not yet been established, and the cause remains under investigation.
Tiffany Continues Campaign for Wisconsin Governor
The crash occurred as Tiffany campaigns for governor of Wisconsin.
He has represented the state’s 7th Congressional District since 2020, succeeding Sean Duffy, who left Congress in 2019 and later became President Donald Trump’s Transportation Secretary.
Tiffany is the Republican nominee for governor and is scheduled to face Democratic candidate David Crowley in November.
A Marquette Law School poll released at the end of August showed Tiffany and Crowley tied at 44 percent among registered voters, while 12 percent remained undecided.
Republicans have held Wisconsin’s 7th Congressional District for the past 15 years.
