Tiffany Swims to Safety After Plane Loses Power in Lake Wausau
Cover image from foxnews.com, which was analyzed for this article
Republican gubernatorial nominee Rep. Tom Tiffany sustained minor injuries after his small plane lost power and landed in Lake Wausau. He and the pilot swam to safety in the incident. Multiple outlets covered the emergency and rescue.
PoliticalOS
Sunday, September 13, 2026 — Politics
The incident underscores the narrow margin between routine travel and serious risk for public figures. The cause of the power loss remains unknown pending official investigation, and all key facts trace directly to Tiffany’s account and the FAA’s preliminary statement.
What outlets missed
The FAA’s identification of the exact time (8:50 p.m.) and formal investigation announcement appeared only in one account. Multiple local agencies at the scene received little mention elsewhere. The roughly 100-mile distance from the La Crosse event and the absence of immediate comment from the campaign and airport were noted unevenly across reports.
A small plane carrying Wisconsin Republican gubernatorial nominee Rep. Tom Tiffany lost power on approach to Wausau Downtown Airport and landed in Lake Wausau on Saturday night. Tiffany and the pilot escaped with minor injuries after swimming from the sinking aircraft.
The four-seat Beechcraft K35 Bonanza had departed from an event in La Crosse County roughly 100 miles away. Tiffany posted on X that the pilot executed the water landing, after which the two called 911. The plane began to submerge before responders arrived, forcing them to exit and reach a shallow area by swimming. The Wausau Fire Department later transported both men by boat to Aspirus Wausau Hospital.
Tiffany credited the pilot and first responders in a statement: “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.” He added that the episode underscored how fragile life remains. His wife, Chris, joined him at the hospital.
The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed the aircraft type and stated the incident occurred around 8:50 p.m. It opened an investigation into the power loss. Officials from the Marathon County Sheriff’s Office, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, and Wisconsin State Patrol also responded to the scene. The Wausau Fire Department, Wausau Downtown Airport, and Tiffany’s campaign had not issued further comments by Sunday. The precise cause of the engine failure has not been determined.
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