Rep. Tom Tiffany Injured After Plane Makes Emergency Lake Landing

U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, a Wisconsin Republican running for governor, and Air Force-trained private pilot Leonard Boltz swam to safety after their four-seat Beechcraft Bonanza lost engine power on final approach to Wausau Downtown Airport on the night of Saturday. Tiffany said that as they went to final approach the plane lost power and Boltz told him, "We are going down. Pull your seatbelt tight." About 10 seconds later the aircraft hit the water. Boltz raised the landing gear just before impact, a step Tiffany said may have saved their lives. The two opened the door, called 911, remained atop the slowly submerging plane, then swam roughly 100 to 150 feet toward the airport until they reached shallow water. Rescuers arrived by boat about five minutes later and took them to Aspirus Wausau Hospital. Tiffany received 12 stitches above his eyebrow after his head struck the dashboard; Boltz received four stitches. Both also had minor scratches and were later released. Tiffany had attended a Lincoln Day dinner in La Crosse before the flight. He became emotional thanking the pilot and first responders, saying he was "just grateful to the Lord for sparing us to see another day," and stated the incident would not derail his campaign. The cause of the power loss remains under investigation, and authorities asked the public to avoid the submerged aircraft.