Wisconsin Republican Congressman Tom Tiffany described the harrowing moments on Saturday night when the pilot of his four-seat plane warned they were descending rapidly before crashing into Lake Wausau. Tiffany, the Republican nominee for Wisconsin governor, was returning from a campaign event when the aircraft lost power as it approached Wausau Downtown Airport.
"As we were making that final turn before we were going to approach for landing, the pilot turned to me and said, 'Tom, we are going down, pull your seat belt as tight as possible,'" Tiffany told Fox News. "And it was like staring into the abyss. And you don't know how far down it is."
Tiffany stated he tightened his seat belt as much as possible just moments before the plane impacted the water forcefully. Miraculously, the aircraft remained upright and afloat.
"The plane stayed upright, thankfully as a result of the skilled work of the pilot, and we looked at each other and said, 'Are you okay?'" Tiffany recalled.
With the plane beginning to sink, Tiffany and the pilot exited the aircraft and swam to shore. "We got the door open, got out and the rest from there, we were able to be saved by the local law enforcement as well as the first responders," Tiffany said.
The Marathon County Sheriff's Office and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources responded to the scene. The congressman sustained a gash above his eye that required 12 stitches, while the pilot received four stitches. Both were transported to Aspirus Wausau Hospital for treatment.
"Each of us had very minor injuries. Once again thanks to the grace of God," Tiffany said. "This is the only injury I have."
The cause of the aircraft's power loss is currently under investigation. Tiffany, who has represented Wisconsin's 7th Congressional District since 2020, is slated to face Democrat David Crowley in the November gubernatorial election.