WASHINGTON: US Representative Tom Tiffany, the Republican nominee for governor of Wisconsin, sustained minor injuries after a plane he was travelling in lost power and made an emergency water landing on a lake in central Wisconsin.
Tiffany said he and the pilot swam to safety after the aircraft landed in Lake Wausau while approaching Wausau Downtown Airport early Sunday.
In a post on X, Tiffany said the plane lost power while he was returning from the La Crosse County Lincoln Day Dinner.
The pilot made an emergency water landing, after which Tiffany and the pilot called 911. As the aircraft began to submerge, they escaped and swam towards a shallow area.
Emergency responders later reached them by boat and transported both men to Aspirus Wausau Hospital for treatment.
Tiffany said both he and the pilot suffered only minor injuries and thanked the emergency responders and hospital staff for their assistance.
Tiffany, who has been endorsed by US President Donald Trump, represents Wisconsin’s 7th Congressional District. He won the Republican nomination for governor in August.
He is scheduled to face Democratic nominee David Crowley, the Milwaukee County Executive, in the November 3 gubernatorial election.
Crowley expressed relief that Tiffany and the pilot were not seriously injured.
He said the incident could have ended in tragedy and praised the pilot for his actions during the emergency.