LUCKY ESCAPE: REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR CANDIDATE FORCED TO SWIM FROM SINKING PLANE AFTER EMERGENCY LAKE LANDING
Wisconsin Congressman and Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Tiffany survived a frightening aviation incident Saturday night after the plane he was traveling in lost power while approaching Wausau Downtown Airport.
The 68-year-old was aboard a four-seat Beechcraft K35 Bonanza with 73-year-old pilot Leonard Boltz when the aircraft was forced to make an emergency landing in Lake Wausau around 9pm.
After touching down on the water, the aircraft began to sink. Tiffany and Boltz escaped the plane, entered the water and swam toward a shallow area, where they waited for rescuers.
Both men were alert and conscious when emergency crews reached them by boat at approximately 9:05pm. They were taken to Aspirus Wausau Hospital with minor injuries.
Tiffany later said the experience reminded him “just how precious life is,” while expressing gratitude to the pilot and first responders.
Preliminary information indicates the aircraft experienced a mechanical issue, although the exact cause of the loss of power remains under investigation.
The plane remains submerged in Lake Wausau, with authorities warning boaters to avoid the marked area until recovery crews remove the aircraft.
The FAA and NTSB are investigating.
Remarkably, what could have been a fatal crash ended with both occupants surviving.
