Rep. Tom Tiffany Swims to Safety After Plane's Emergency Landing on Wisconsin Lake

Republican Rep. Tom Tiffany of Wisconsin, currently a candidate for governor, was aboard a small plane that made an emergency landing on Lake Wausau in Wisconsin on a Saturday night in September 2026. Tiffany and the pilot were both forced into the water and swam to safety before being rescued. According to multiple reports, Tiffany said he was returning from the La Crosse County Lincoln Day Dinner when the aircraft lost power as it approached the Wausau downtown airport, prompting the pilot to attempt an emergency landing on the lake. The plane, described by at least one outlet as a Bonanza, ended up in the water, with some reports characterizing it as sinking. Tiffany and the pilot called 911 after reaching safety and were subsequently rescued by emergency responders using a fire department airboat. No injuries were reported. The precise mechanical cause of the power loss has not been detailed in available reporting, and it remains unresolved whether the aircraft was recovered from the lake. A separate incident involving a Coast Guard plane carrying the Homeland Security Secretary, which made an emergency landing at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in early September following engine failure, was reported around the same period but is unrelated to the Tiffany incident and involved no injuries.