Rep. Tom Tiffany, a Republican congressman from Wisconsin, and a pilot managed to swim to safety following an emergency water landing in a lake over the weekend. The incident occurred on Saturday evening as Tiffany was traveling on a small single-engine aircraft that lost power while approaching the Wausau Downtown Airport. The Marathon County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that the pilot, Leonard Boltz, executed the emergency landing on Lake Wausau after the aircraft suffered an apparent mechanical failure. Tiffany, who is Wisconsin’s Republican gubernatorial nominee, shared details of the ordeal on social media, explaining that he was returning home from the La Crosse County Lincoln Day Dinner in Onalaska when the accident took place. As the aircraft started to submerge, both men managed to exit and wade through the water to a shallow area to await rescue. According to Marathon County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Cory Gladden, an emergency 911 call was placed by one of the occupants while standing on top of the sinking plane. Emergency responders reached the pair by boat after they spent roughly 20 minutes in the water. Following the rescue, Tiffany received stitches above his right eye before being released from the hospital. Boltz also received treatment for minor injuries. Federal authorities, including the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board, have launched an investigation to determine the exact cause of the mechanical failure.
Source: npr.org
