Rep. Tom Tiffany expressed deep gratitude on Sunday following his survival of a terrifying late-night emergency water landing, alternating between tears and laughter as he described the ordeal. The candidate for Wisconsin governor had been riding in a small plane that crashed into a lake.
Speaking to reporters at a firehouse in downtown Wausau, the Republican lawmaker recalled the moments leading up to the crash. The pilot "said we are going down," Tiffany explained. "‘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."
After coming down in Lake Wausau, Tiffany and the pilot, Leonard Boltz, balanced on top of the aircraft until it began to submerge. They then swam roughly 100 to 150 feet (30 to 45 meters) to reach shallow water where they could stand.
Reflecting on their narrow escape, the 68-year-old Tiffany remarked, "We’re really fortunate that God was looking after us last night."
A statement from the Marathon County Sheriff’s Office noted that the emergency landing took place just before 9 p.m. Saturday. After escaping the sinking plane, Boltz dialed 911, and the pair were rescued from the water by emergency personnel in a fire department airboat shortly after 9 p.m.
"The gravity of this is probably just hitting me at this point," Tiffany said Sunday, adding that despite the danger, "We were making jokes every step of the way last night, though we knew it was a serious situation, we tried to keep it light through the whole thing."
The representative was returning from the La Crosse County Lincoln Day Dinner when the single-engine, four-seat Beechcraft Bonanza lost power as it approached Wausau Downtown Airport.
Tiffany sustained a cut above his right eye that required 12 stitches. Boltz, whom Tiffany identified as a retired Air Force pilot, also suffered injuries and received four stitches.
After the accident, Democratic gubernatorial candidate David Crowley wished Tiffany a "quick recovery" in a post on X, while praising the "heroism of the pilot." Tiffany confirmed that the event would not alter or halt his gubernatorial campaign.
A no-wake buoy was stationed near the aircraft, which remains underwater, while the sheriff’s office asked boaters to clear the area until the plane can be safely extracted.
A Federal Aviation Administration spokesperson confirmed the agency will investigate the crash. Meanwhile, a National Transportation Safety Board spokesperson said their team is waiting for the FAA to determine whether the damage to the aircraft warrants a full NTSB investigation.
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