Wisconsin congressman Tom Tiffany and a pilot swam to safety after their small plane made an emergency landing on Lake Wausau, officials said.
The aircraft lost power as it approached Wausau Downtown Airport on Saturday evening, prompting pilot Leonard Boltz to land on the lake, according to the Marathon County Sheriff’s Office.
Tiffany, the Republican nominee for governor of Wisconsin, said he was travelling home from the La Crosse County Lincoln Day Dinner in Onalaska when the incident occurred.
“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,” he wrote in a post on X.
Lieutenant Cory Gladden of the sheriff’s office said the 911 call was made by one of the occupants while they were standing on top of the aircraft after getting out.
Mr Tiffany and Mr Boltz spent about 20 minutes in the water before emergency responders found them, Lieutenant Gladden said. Initial information indicated that the plane had suffered mechanical failure.
Mr Tiffany received stitches above his right eye and was released from hospital. The sheriff’s office said Mr Boltz was also treated for minor injuries.
The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the emergency plane landing.
