Rep. Tom Tiffany, pilot suffer minor injuries in emergency water landing
House Rep. Tom Tiffany, R-Wis., was treated and released from a Wisconsin hospital after the plane in which he was traveling made an emergency landing in Lake Wausau Saturday night just before 9 p.m.
"While returning home from the La Crosse County Lincoln Day Dinner tonight, the plane I was traveling in lost power as we approached the Wausau Downtown Airport. The pilot made an emergency water landing in Lake Wausau," Tiffany posted on social media.
"After landing, we called 911. 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," the post continued.
Tiffany, a candidate for Wisconsin governor, said he was transported to Aspirus Wausau Hospital alongside the pilot, both of whom he said "sustained only minor injuries." Tiffany posted Sunday morning that he was treated for a wound above his right eye and that he and the pilot were released from the hospital Saturday night.
"I want to express my deepest gratitude to the pilot, the Wausau Fire Department, and all of the first responders who came to our aid so quickly," Tiffany wrote. "An experience like this reminds you just how precious life is."
The FAA released a statement Sunday saying they were investigating the incident.
