Congressman Tom Tiffany successfully reached safety following an emergency landing of his plane

Wisconsin Congressman Tom Tiffany sustained minor injuries when a plane he was on lost power and made an emergency landing on Lake Wausau.

US Congressman Tom Tiffany sustained minor injuries following an emergency landing of a small plane on a lake in Wisconsin.

Tiffany, the Republican nominee for governor of Wisconsin, was on a plane Saturday night when it encountered a mechanical issue near Wausau Downtown Airport, as reported by the Marathon County Sheriff’s Office.

Tiffany reported that the aircraft unexpectedly lost power as it neared the airport during his return from a dinner in La Crosse County.

The plane touched down on Lake Wausau, prompting Tiffany and the pilot to swim to shallower waters while awaiting the arrival of emergency responders.

“As the plane began to submerge, we exited the aircraft and swam to a shallow area, where we waited until emergency responders reached us by boat,” Tiffany shared on social media.

Tiffany mentioned that he and the pilot contacted 911 after the plane had landed.

Authorities were informed of the crash at 20:49 local time. A Wausau Fire Department airboat arrived at the scene approximately 15 minutes later, at 21:05, successfully rescuing the pair from the shallow water.

Tiffany and the pilot were the sole occupants of the Beechcraft K35, a single-engine aircraft commonly referred to as a Bonanza, capable of accommodating up to five individuals.

Tiffany sustained a minor cut above his right eye, as stated by his campaign. “God was watching over us tonight, and I am deeply thankful to be here in the hospital with my wife, Chris, by my side,” Tiffany said.

“An experience like this highlights the true value of life.”

The origin of the mechanical issue was not immediately clear.

The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are anticipated to conduct an investigation into the incident.

The sheriff’s office reported that the plane stayed in the lake as emergency crews worked to extract it.