Tom Tiffany, Wisconsin GOP governor nominee, says he and pilot suffered minor injuries in emergency lake landing

Sept 13 (Reuters) — U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, the Republican nominee for Wisconsin governor, said he and his pilot escaped with minor injuries after their plane lost power and made an emergency landing in Lake Wausau in central Wisconsin.

Tiffany said in a post on X early Sunday that the aircraft went down as they approached Wausau Downtown Airport while he was returning from the La Crosse County Lincoln Day Dinner. The pilot, he said, put the plane down on the water.

After the landing, the two called 911. As the plane began to submerge, they got out and swam to a shallow area, where they waited until emergency responders arrived by boat, according to Tiffany’s account.

“They got us safely off the water and transported us to Aspirus Wausau Hospital, where we received excellent care,” Tiffany wrote. “Thankfully, both the pilot and I sustained only minor injuries.”

The incident briefly thrust the congressman’s campaign into the spotlight. Tiffany, who represents Wisconsin’s 7th Congressional District, won the Republican nomination in August and has been endorsed by President Donald Trump. He is set to face Democratic nominee David Crowley, the Milwaukee County executive, in the Nov. 3 gubernatorial election.

Crowley said he was relieved that no one was seriously hurt. “I’m 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,” he said.

The race is expected to be closely watched in a state that remains one of the nation’s premier political battlegrounds. While the emergency landing is unlikely to change the fundamental dynamics of the contest, it puts a fresh focus on the candidates’ safety and the unpredictable moments that can shape a campaign.

(Reporting by Rishabh Jaiswal in Bengaluru; Editing by Susan Fenton)