Tom Tiffany plane crashes into Lake Wausau, removed from water
Tom Tiffany plane removed from Lake Wausau
Republican candidate for governor, Tom Tiffany, is safe after an emergency landing in Lake Wausau. Tiffany and the pilot were rescued from the water and treated for minor injuries. The aircraft has since been recovered from the lake and is now at the airport as the FAA investigates the crash.
WAUSAU, Wis. - Crews removed a plane from Lake Wausau on Monday after the aircraft, carrying U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, the Republican nominee for Wisconsin governor, made an emergency landing in the water on Saturday night.
Is the plane still in the water?
Removal effort:
The plane was raised to the surface using air bags, lifted out of the water onto land and moved to a storage location.
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A towing company was brought in to recover it Monday morning, and the removal took several hours. The Marathon County Sheriff's Office and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources are also part of the response.
PHOTO GALLERY: Plane pulled from Lake Wausau
How did Tiffany's plane crash?
What we know:
Tiffany said he was flying back from La Crosse on Saturday night, Sept. 12, when the small plane he was riding in lost power on final approach to the Wausau Airport. He said the pilot told him to tighten his seatbelt, and about 10 seconds later, they hit the water.
The Marathon County Sheriff's Office said deputies got the 911 call just before 9 p.m. Saturday. The two men were able to get off of the plane and waited on top of it for help. But the aircraft started sinking, so they swam to a nearby sandbar. About 15 minutes later, Wausau Fire crews reached them by boat.
What we don't know:
The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the cause of the emergency landing.
Effort to rescue Tom Tiffany, pilot; fire officials shares story
FOX6 NOW spoke with Wausau Deputy Fire Chief Justin Pluess about the effort to rescue Cong. Tom Tiffany and a pilot from lake Wausau on Saturday night, Sept. 12.
Was Tom Tiffany injured?
Why you should care:
Both Tiffany and the pilot needed stitches but are going to be OK. Tiffany said his head hit the plane's dashboard. Both men were taken to the hospital with minor injuries and released. Tiffany said the gravity of what happened is still sinking in.
"We are just really fortunate," Tiffany said. "We're really fortunate that God was looking after us last night. And we're also really fortunate that the first responders, those behind me, the fire department, the sheriff's department, as well as the city of Wausau police for their quick response. We're really fortunate for what they did, and I can't thank them enough for helping us in this situation. I have to say that the gravity of this is probably just hitting me at this point, because we were making jokes every step of the way last night, though, we knew it was a serious situation. But, we tried to keep it light through the whole thing."
Impact on race for governor
Big picture view:
Tiffany said the emergency water landing won't stop him from running for governor or flying. He even says he plans to campaign Monday, but he says his doctors asked him not to fly for a few days.
David Crowley, Tiffany's Democratic opponent in the race for governor, offered his prayers.
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"My thoughts and prayers are not only with him but everybody that was on board," Crowley said. "I did give the congressman a call and left him a message. So, I’m glad that he is safe, thank God. And I hope to see him on the campaign trail."
Tiffany was asked about that call and if President Donald Trump called.
"My phone is in Lake Wausau, and so, I haven't had a whole lot of communication as a result of that," Tiffany answered the reporter’s question. "But, I know David Crowley put a message out and that's appreciated, his kind words. I don't know if the president has, if he has, he probably called my phone, and, it's being answered by one of the fish down in Lake Wausau."
Where is Wausau?
Local perspective:
Wausau, located in Marathon County, is roughly 185 miles northwest of Milwaukee and 150 miles north of Madison.
Portions of this article were formatted using A.I. FOX6’s Stephanie Quirk and an editor reviewed it for accuracy and tone prior to publishing.
The Source: Information in this story was gathered from first responders, Tom Tiffany, Marathon County Sheriff's Office, Wausau Fire crews, Jerry's Towing, Department of Natural Resources and Federal Aviation Administration.