GOP congressman from Wisconsin swims to safety after plane makes emergency landing in a lake

Wausau, Wis. (AP) — Republican congressman Tom Tiffany recounted his harrowing experience after a plane he was on made an emergency landing in Lake Wausau late Saturday.

Tiffany had just arrived from the La Crosse County Lincoln Day Dinner when the light aircraft's engine failed as it approached Wausau Downtown Airport. The pilot made an emergency landing in the lake. Both Tiffany and the pilot found themselves in the water, but quickly swam to safety.

"The plane began to submerge, so we exited the aircraft and swam to a shallow area, where we waited until emergency responders reached us by boat," Tiffany wrote on his social media platform X.

Both individuals were treated at a nearby hospital for minor injuries. Tiffany is a gubernatorial candidate for the Republican party in Wisconsin and has received the endorsement of former President Donald Trump. The single-engine, four-seat aircraft was a Bonanza.