Emergency Landing in Lake Wausau: Congressman and Pilot Swim to Safety
A dramatic incident unfolded over the weekend when a small aircraft carrying a U.S. congressman was forced to make an emergency landing in Lake Wausau, Wisconsin. The Republican representative from Wisconsin, Tom Tiffany, recounted the harrowing experience of having to swim to shore after the plane encountered trouble.
Rep. Tom Tiffany was aboard a small single-engine aircraft piloted by Leonard Boltz on Saturday evening. The flight was approaching the Wausau Downtown Airport when the plane unexpectedly lost power. In a quick response, Boltz managed to bring the plane down safely on Lake Wausau, according to a statement by the Marathon County Sheriff’s Office.
In a post on social media platform X, Tiffany detailed, “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.”
Returning from the La Crosse County Lincoln Day Dinner in Onalaska, Tiffany, who is also the Republican gubernatorial nominee, was on his way home when the incident occurred. In an interview with Wisconsin Public Radio, Marathon County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Cory Gladden mentioned, “The 911 call had come in from one of the occupants of the plane. They were able to exit the plane and made the call while they were basically standing on top of the plane.”
Gladden reported that the congressman and pilot remained in the water for approximately 20 minutes before they were rescued. The initial assessment suggests that a mechanical failure led to the emergency landing.
After the ordeal, Tiffany shared an update online about his condition, stating he received stitches above his right eye and was discharged from the hospital. Boltz also received medical attention for minor injuries.
Both the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board have been notified and will conduct an investigation into the incident.
Contributions to this report were made by Hope Kirwan of Wisconsin Public Radio.
This article was originally written by www.npr.org
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