Miami
Tom Tiffany suffers minor injuries after emergency water landing in Wisconsin
The Wisconsin congressman and gubernatorial candidate was aboard a small plane that lost power near Wausau. He was treated at a hospital and later released.
Republican Rep. Tom Tiffany, who is running for governor of Wisconsin, sustained minor injuries after the small plane he was traveling in made an emergency landing on Lake Wausau in central Wisconsin, CBS News Miami reported.
According to Tiffany’s social media posts and remarks at a Sunday news conference cited by the outlet, he was returning from the La Crosse County Lincoln Day Dinner when the aircraft lost power while approaching Wausau Downtown Airport. The pilot then brought the plane down on the water.
The Federal Aviation Administration told CBS News that a Beechcraft K35 landed in the lake at about 8:50 p.m. Saturday after the pilot reported engine trouble. There were only two people on board, and the agency said it will continue to investigate.
Tiffany said he was flying with Len Boltz, a private pilot he had flown with before. He said the plane went down about 10 seconds after he was told to tighten his seat belt. After the water landing, Boltz was able to call 911, and the two remained on top of the plane for about 10 minutes before deciding to swim toward the airport. They eventually reached a spot where they could stand in the lake, and a boat reached them shortly afterward.
CBS News Miami reported that Tiffany thanked the pilot, the Wausau Fire Department and first responders for helping them quickly. He also said he was released from the hospital after receiving stitches above his right eye. At the news conference, he said he received 12 stitches and the pilot received four. He added that a CT scan did not appear to show a concussion, though he would keep monitoring for symptoms.
Tiffany also said he had been told not to fly for a few days, so he will not return to Washington right away. His Democratic opponent, David Crowley, said he was grateful the congressman was not more seriously hurt and praised the pilot’s actions, according to CBS News Miami.
Sources
About this piece. Written by El Notero with AI assistance, from reporting published by the outlet cited above. El Notero did no original reporting on this story.
