Wisconsin Rep. Tom Tiffany suffers minor injuries when his plane makes an emergency landing in a lake

Mark Schiefelbein/Reuters

Wisconsin congressman and Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Tiffany said he suffered minor injuries after a plane he was in made an emergency landing Saturday night on Lake Wausau in central Wisconsin.

In a post on X , Tiffany said while returning home from the La Crosse County Lincoln Day Dinner, in Onalaska, Wisconsin, the plane lost power as it approached Wausau Downtown Airport.

The pilot made an emergency water landing in Lake Wausau, he said, and the two called 911. As the plane began to submerge, Tiffany and the pilot exited the aircraft and swam to a shallow area where they waited for emergency responders, he said.

“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 said in the post.

“They got us safely off the water and transported us to Aspirus Wausau Hospital, where we received excellent care.”

The Marathon County Sheriff’s Office told CNN affiliate WSAW the plane will be marked with a buoy and asked people to stay away.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and State Patrol also responded to the scene, according to WSAW, and the investigation will be handed over to the Federal Aviation Administration.

In dispatch audio obtained and verified by CNN, authorities mention someone inside the plane made a 911 call. Later, an official responding to the crash confirms two people inside the plane had been rescued.

“Boat heads back to landing with two victims,” the official at the scene is heard telling dispatchers. “Both are alert and conscious.”

“God was watching over us tonight, and I am incredibly grateful to be here in the hospital with my wife, Chris, by my side. An experience like this reminds you just how precious life is,” Tiffany said in his post.

CNN has reached out to Tiffany’s office, the Wisconsin DNR, State Patrol and the FAA for further information.

Tiffany, a member of the far-right House Freedom Caucus, won his party’s nomination for governor of Wisconsin in the primary elections, bolstered by the support of President Donald Trump.

His Democratic opponent in the governor’s race, David Crowley, said in a post on X he was “grateful to God that Congressman Tiffany and no one else was hurt in this horrifying incident, which could have been a tragedy if not for the heroism of the pilot.”

“I wish them and the Congressman a quick recovery and that they can find solace with their loved ones,” Crowley added.

马克·谢费尔贝因/路透社

威斯康星州国会议员兼共和党州长候选人汤姆·蒂芙尼表示，他乘坐的飞机周六晚在威斯康星州中部沃索湖紧急迫降，他受了轻伤。

蒂芙尼在 X 上发帖称，她从威斯康星州奥纳拉斯卡的拉克罗斯县林肯日晚宴返回家中时，飞机在接近沃索市中心机场时失去了动力。

他说，飞行员在沃索湖进行了紧急水上迫降，两人拨打了911。飞机开始下沉时，蒂芙尼和飞行员离开了飞机，游到一处浅水区等待救援人员。

蒂芙尼在帖子中写道：“我要向飞行员、沃索消防局以及所有迅速赶来救援的急救人员表达我最深切的感谢。”

“他们安全地将我们救上岸，并将我们送往阿斯皮鲁斯沃索医院，在那里我们得到了很好的照顾。”

马拉松县警长办公室告诉 CNN 附属电视台 WSAW，飞机将被标记上浮标，并要求人们远离该区域。

据 WSAW 报道，威斯康星州自然资源部和州巡逻队也赶到了现场，调查将移交给联邦航空管理局。

据CNN获取并核实的调度录音显示，当局提到飞机上有人拨打了911报警电话。随后，一名参与事故救援的官员证实，飞机上两人已被救出。

“船只载着两名伤者返回岸边，”现场官员告诉调度员，“两人意识清醒。”

“今晚上帝保佑着我们，我无比感激能和妻子克里斯一起待在医院里。这样的经历让我更加珍惜生命，”蒂芙尼在帖子中写道。

CNN已联系蒂芙尼办公室、威斯康星州自然资源部、州巡逻队和联邦航空管理局以获取更多信息。

蒂芙尼是极右翼众议院自由党团的成员，在唐纳德·特朗普总统的支持下，他在初选中赢得了该党威斯康星州州长候选人提名。

他在州长竞选中的民主党对手大卫·克劳利在 X 网站上发帖称：“感谢上帝，蒂芙尼议员和其他人在这起可怕的事件中没有受伤，如果不是飞行员的英勇行为，这可能会是一场悲剧。”

克劳利补充道：“我祝愿他们和这位国会议员早日康复，并希望他们能从亲人那里得到慰藉。”